Mirror Change
by Ite'sPlace
Summary: Shot? Comes with the job. Hospital? Not the first time. Turning into an entirely different species? What! A night out with Nick turns sour when a wanted criminal is spotted by Judy. Naturally, she's not going to let him get away but what happens when she's shot with an alternative version of the night howler, one that turns her into a pheromone charged irresistible vixen? Nick&Judy
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: SHOOT!

It had been a normal day so far. Well, as normal as it could get for Zootopia's favourite crime busting team. Earlier that day, the ZPD had cracked down on yet another Night Howler secret operations crime base and as a reward, Chief Bogo had conceded the night to the team that had made it possible. So there they were, hanging out at Nick's favorite bar drinking their asses off and Finnick taking the time to give Nick an in-depth practical lesson on how not to piss a drunk off, which by the way Judy found hilarious.

A few punches later with a pinchful of laughter they were ready to go. That is, they would have been if a certain someone had not just passed Judy's sight heading towards the door. Judy's eyes narrowed as he slipped through the front door and she frowned before choosing to alert Nick. 'Nick' she practically hissed, standing up and feeling around her hip for her tazer. 'Whaa?' was Nick's incoherent reply as it seemed that he had gone from arguing to drinking in the last few minutes. Judy practically snarled as she realized she must have left the tazer in Nick's car. 'Jackson's here' Judy informed. Nick shot up from his stool with an agility a drunk mammal could not possibly have possessed and looked around him. 'Where?' He asked, looking around him. 'He just left through there' Judy said, motioning towards an exit 'If we leave now, I think we might be able to catch up to him. What do we do about Finnick?' .The tiny fox had passed out on the bar top and a forgotten beer can lay dangerously close to his head.

Nick shrugged 'He'll be fine' he said and began walking toward the door. 'You are a terrible friend' Judy giggled as she walked behind him. 'Yeah' Nick grinned back. They walked out of the bar into the cold night air and Judy shivered as she used her eyes to search the deserted street for their perp. When she had chosen the cotton spaghetti top and jeans to wear out, Judy had not imagined she would be chasing a high profile criminal and now she suddenly wished she were in her uniform.

'I see him' Nick whispered. Following his line of vision, Judy made out the silhouette of the weasel they were after, leaning on a flickering street light, a stick of cigarette in between his lips. He puffed on it slowly, letting a thick cloud of smoke in front of his face. From where she was, Judy could make out the strain in his breathing and the sight of him smoking was getting her more angry by the second. 'You got your tazer on you?' she asked Nick 'I forgot mine in your car'.

Nick nodded. 'Good' Judy said with a subtle nod of her head. Nick's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before his eyes widened in understanding. 'That isn't going to happen fluff' he said sternly to her 'We are going to get the perp and then I'm going to laugh at you for the rest of the week'.

'Jackson is a Night Howler dealer Nick. I'm just taking precautions'

'To hell with precautions'

He made to step in front of her but her small hand grabbed his wrist. 'I'm in front, remember?' Judy reminded. Nick snorted but he let her come before him. Unseen by both of them, the weasel in question gave a sly smirk. With a cough, he threw his stick to the floor before stepping on it and squashing it violently under his foot. With a quick glance around, he began shuffling down the street. Judy and Nick noticed he was on the move and quietly they began to follow him.

Jackson seemed to be unaware of their presence as he walked languidly, often pausing to stare at the pavement or random objects around him. Nick was sure that this laidback behavior should have put his fears to rest but he was as alert as ever and the fact that the mammal in question seemed to be heading into a darkened alleyway had him scowling deeply. Judy seemed to have noticed the same thing as she darted after him. Without a moment's hesitation, Nick went after her and found himself in a poorly lighted back street, Judy a few feet away from him.

'Samuel Jackson, This is the ZPD, you are under arrest. Put your hands in the air and get on your knees'. In the short while it had taken him to reach her, Judy had pulled out her gun, which she had pointed at Jackson and Nick could feel the discomfort she felt at just holding it as he knew she preferred tazers.

Jackson grinned, showing off his yellowed teeth.' If it ain't the bunny cop and her foxy friend. Ain't ya goin' ta read me ma rights first?' he asked. 'Put your hands in the air' Judy repeated through gritted teeth.

Jackson's grin widened and Nick made to move forward, tempted to beat hell out of the weasel. Sensing his intentions, Judy leveled him with a look that said 'I can handle it'. Nick shrugged carelessly, letting her have her way although he moved closer to her.

'If ya say so' Jackson complied with Judy's command, raising his hands up slowly, then the next few minutes were a blur. Suddenly, he pulled out a black pistol which had been hidden in his stained coat, firing three successive shots at Judy rapidly all the while laughing maniacally. The force of the projectiles threw Judy backwards and the minute Judy staggered backwards, Nick saw red. He sprang forward, grabbing Jackson in an anger-filled brutal headlock. The weasel gasped and brought his hands up to his neck, making Nick tighten his hold. His vision was a hazy red as he struggled vainly and finally he stopped as a loud crack resounded throughout the alley. That same sound snapped Nick out of his daze and he dropped the unconscious Jackson as he remembered just why he had attacked the criminal.

'Fluff!'

He rushed to her side, his mind trying to recall anything he had ever learnt about bullet wounds then stopped in surprise when he noted the lack of blood on her arm. If it hadn't been a bullet then there was only one other option, given who Jackson was.

A frown formed on Nick's face as he pulled his unconscious friend closer to him while also sending Jackson's possibly dead body a hate filled glare. Quickly he fished out his phone and dialed 9-1-1, holding it closer when someone answered over the line.

'Hello? Please I need an ambulance, it's an emergency…'


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: FEELINGS

Judy's throat felt incredibly dry. Parched even. And her eyelids felt heavy, almost convincing her to keep them closed. But with that determination that was peculiar to only Judy Hopps, her eyes flitted open, closing almost immediately at the brightness that enveloped the whole room. Darkness 1, Light 0. When a five second interlude was over, she tried again, this time succeeding better than the first. However, she was forced to close them again when the brightness became too much.

Her third try allowed her view the room and she came to an immediate conclusion; this was not her room. She wondered if she had slept over at Nick's again but train of thought was shut down when she noticed the bleached white walls. Nick would never go for something so…bland.

Judy was stumped. Where was she? Suddenly the events of she and Nick's outing came rushing back with the force of a tsunami and Judy shot up, her raspy voice shouting out only one word 'Jackson!' Her sudden movements startled a red furry mass sitting on a stool near her bed and it fell to the floor with a yell. It rose to reveal a disheveled, sour Nick who was glaring at her with all the wrath to be expected from someone who is not a morning person. 'You do not wake up a sleeping person Fluff. Never' he growled sleepily. For some reason, Judy flushed at the husky tone in his voice, feeling strangely shy. Nearby, the clock ticked, waiting for Nick to grow lucid.

Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick…

'FLUFF!'

Judy found herself enveloped in a warm bear hug and her face buried in the soft print of Nick's green shirt by the fox himself. 'How do you feel?'Nick asked, releasing her from his grip. 'Tired' Judy replied sincerely and attempted to stretch 'Where am I?' she asked, noting that Nick had climbed onto the small bed with her.

'In the hospital' Nick replied, a little guilt in his tone. 'The hospital?' Judy echoed disbelieving 'What happened?' Nick rubbed his head sheepishly and turned away, 'Man, where's Bogo when you need him?'

.'Nick' Judy demanded and the fox in question sighed. 'Uh, when Jackson shot you, you passed out and I may or may not have snapped his neck' he replied, mentally preparing himself.

'YOU KILLED HIM?' Judy yelled shooting up and momentarily forgetting the pain that the strain to the tubes attached to her body produced. 'Of course not Carrots. It's just a broken neck. He'll be fine' Nick tried to pacify her. 'You could have killed him' Judy whispered, beginning to feel tired. 'But I didn't. Besides, you're just upset you didn't get to cuff him' Nick nudged her playfully and Judy let out a weary smile.

'Dumb Fox' she said quietly, scooting closer to Nick. Nick smiled at her action; she was going to be okay. 'You know you love me' Nick teased, playing along to their usual banter. When she didn't reply, he looked down and was pleasantly surprised to see she had already fallen asleep. Pulling Judy closer to him, he let her steady breathing lull him to sleep.

Judy lay still against Nick's chest in the quietness of the hospital room, trying to figure out why she found herself unable to answer the statement that she had been answering easily for almost two years. And why she was feeling so strange ever since she had woken up. With a gentle shake of her head, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her head, deciding to mull over it when she was fully rested.

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Nick found himself glancing worriedly at the door of Judy's ward while the doctor talked to him. She had been unusually quiet the whole of the morning, a far cry from her usual energetic self and Nick didn't like it one bit.

'She'll be fine Mr. Wilde' the doctor (Rosemary was her name) assured 'She just needs a lot of bed rest and stay off the action for now'.

'So the Night Howler hasn't made any changes to her body?' Nick asked. Dr Rosemary's smile faltered at the question. 'If I am to be honest with you Mr. Wilde, we are as clueless as you are. The particles of Night Howler in her system are mere fleeting traces and are too small to be sampled. The only thing I am able to tell you is that this Night Howler was mutated and whatever it was, it has been totally absorbed by her blood stream so I guess we will just have to wait out its effects although we can rule savagery out'.

'Thank God for small mercies' Nick muttered good-naturedly and Dr Rosemary laughed lightly. 'I'll see you around Doc' Nick said as he turned towards Judy's room. Doctor Rosemary nodded and began walking away.

Judy was by the window when he walked in and she gave a small smile as she turned and recognized him. A small drumming sound bounced off the walls of the fairly large room and Nick glanced at her rapidly thumping leg. 'I think I liked you better when you were unconscious' Nick teased as he strolled leisurely into the room.

Going for immature, she stuck out her tongue at him. 'I just want to put last night behind me and go back to being a cop' Judy said with a small shrug. Nick looked at her strangely, cocking his head to the side.

'Cute' Judy thought unconsciously.

'You've been here for five days, Fluff' Nick said matter-of-factly, then he grinned evilly at her 'The paper work's piling'.

Judy looked dumbfounded 'Five days? I've been here for five days?! I've got to get back to work!' Judy's exclamations were high pitched as her voice box had not been used for a while and Nick watched her rant, amused. He tsked to get her attention before spreading his arms wide as if giving her a present.

'I don't think so. You're on bed rest' Nick knew he should have felt bad when she looked at him with clear horror projected in her beautiful violet eyes but he chose to ice the cake instead.

'And I'm on guard duty!'

It was truly satisfying to see Judy stare at him like he had asked to marry her and even more so when she finally came to her senses and yelled 'WHAT!'

It truly was satisfying.

 **I am so sorry for the mistake in the last chapter, I had no idea it would come out in code as this is the first time I've attempted a story on FF. Shout out to** ** _DarkwingWolf12, Neo4812_** **and** ** _swifttalion1990_** **and the three guest reviews that made me recheck the chapter. Thank You!**

 **Read & Review please**

 **Ite**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: CHANGES

It had been a few hours since Nick had drove her home after she had been certified okay and discharged but merely a few minutes since Nick had left and Judy was still to come to terms with the sentence passed upon her. Bed rest? For a mammal that was constantly active that had to be the worst word to grace Judy's ears. Being a cop had left little time for her social life to blossom and most of her friends, if not all, were simply other cops from the ZPD or old childhood friends from Bunnyburrow. She had no hobbies she could remember that she had bothered to develop and Nick was the movie expert not her.

Judy sighed and rubbed her face. Not knowing what to do in her free time was the least of her problems. Ever since she had woken up, she had been feeling strange and weird. Especially around Nick. Scratch that, she had been feeling weird only around Nick and not knowing what exactly these feelings were getting on her nerves. She had never felt the urge to touch, to be close to another person as much as she had felt when she had been with Nick today and whenever he had even let that lazy teasing grin of his grace his face, she found the bad mood she tried to maintain dissipate into nothingness. Even just thinking of him as she was doing now, brought a smile to her lips.

It was frustrating and inconvenient for Judy to say the least. What would Nick think of her if he knew? Judy scratched her head as she entered into her bedroom and began to pull off the loose top she was wearing. This must be one of the effects of whatever strange concoction Jackson had warped the Night Howler into. She would talk to Dr Rosemary tomorrow, there had to be something she could do to suppress these unwelcome feelings.

She climbed into bed with ease tugging her duvet to her chin as she prepared to go to sleep. Tomorrow awaited and with it came an entity even a person such as she would find hard to defeat; Boredom. Her phone buzzed to life and with a chirpy tone indicated a new message in her inbox. Judy's hand searched the bedside table clueless before it grabbed her phone and the text she opened brought a smile to her face.

Have a good night Fluff

\- Nick

She sent one of her own before drifting off to sleep in contentment.

Night Nick

\- Judy

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It was cold. Judy opened her eyes, her vision bleary. Her room window was open, letting in the cold outside air. Silently Judy debated within herself on whether to get out of bed and close it or just curl up under her duvet. After an internal struggle which lasted seconds, she chose to go with the latter. Her tail wrapped snugly around her left leg and she smiled at the extra warmth.

Wait, what?

Judy opened her eyes slowly and let her gaze drift towards her lower limbs. When had her legs become so long? Her eyes widened as she saw the long, fluffy and amazing soft thing wrapped around her leg. The gears in her head began to click. That was her tail. Judy let out a loud terrified scream as she jumped out of bed throwing her comfy duvet off her body. The tail followed her (as tails are supposed to) and Judy stood still as she heard it swish behind her in a rhythmical manner. With trembling hands, she grabbed it and pulled it in front of her, staring in amazement at the appendage she had suddenly acquired out of nowhere. It was an ordinary tail for any other animal, Judy thought. The fur was like silk to her touch and silver in colour with a black marking in the middle. Thoughts were streaming like an express train in Judy's mind and suddenly she got the dreaded urge to find what sort of animal she had become. With fear filled steps she walked towards the small mirror hanging on the wall and when she stood in front of it, she gasped in shock.

From the short pointy ears, long muzzle, sharp teeth and long fluffy tail, it was very clear to Judy the havoc Jackson's Night Howler had wrecked on her body.

'I'm a…FOX?!'

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'WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?!'

'WHOO! WHOO! WHOO! WHOO! WHOO!'

The loud ringing of his cell phone jarred Nick out of his restless slumber and he sat upright in bed immediately and ran a hand across his face. 'I've got to change that song' he promised himself as he glared at the bright flashing screen of his cell. He considered letting it go to voicemail but it could be Judy and she could be having an emergency.

He picked up the small object and swiped his finger right 'Hello?'

'Nick!' Judy said loudly over the phone. Nick straightened at the panic he heard in her voice, concerned. 'Carrots, are you okay?' he asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide the sleepiness in his tone. 'Did I wake you up?' Judy asked, a bit of nervousness and guilt in her tone. 'No, I've been awake for hours' Nick lied.

There was stillness on the other side for a few seconds. 'Liar' Judy proclaimed, and Nick could feel the smile in her voice then her voice dropped to a whisper 'Can you come over?'

'Sure. Do you need anything?' Nick asked as he slowly got out of bed. 'No, just come over' Judy responded. Nick nodded although she couldn't see him 'Be there in a few. Don't go anywhere'

'Not even if I wanted to' Judy replied in a despondent tone before cutting the call. Nick stared at his phone screen in puzzlement and worry. Sliding smoothly off his bed, he headed towards his bathroom to take a quick shower. The sooner he arrived at Judy's place, the sooner he could see what was bugging his favourite rabbit and possibly get rid of whatever problem there was.

Thirty minutes later found Nick taking an elevator to Judy's apartment floor where she had lived for barely ten months. She had moved out of her old one when the old lady who owned it had decided to sell it to a real-estate company. At least she didn't have crazy mammals for neighbors anymore.

The elevator dinged and Nick stepped out and looked around the short corridor. In his hurry, he had dresses in an old Pig Hero 6 shirt and bleached jeans, looking the picture of a wandering loafer. He knew Judy wouldn't mind though, she had seen him in far more mismatched clothes. He turned to his right and pressed the doorbell and heard the lyrics of Judy's favourite Gazelle song play inside the house. He quietly chuckled to himself; he would never understand why she loved that song.

Above the song, he heard Judy's voice shout a 'Coming!' and then the click of the door being unlocked. It opened slowly and only a fraction before a wide violet eye peered at him. His hand was suddenly grabbed by a silver paw that he immediately noted was too large to be Judy's and he was pulled into the apartment in a second, the door closing silently behind him.

'Carrots, what is this ab-' the words stuck in his throat as the most beautiful vixen he had ever seen stood before him her paw still holding his. Nick was confused, this was Judy's apartment was it not? What was this stranger doing here instead? He forced his eyes away from her tight clad chest to look at her face instead and he found himself staring at those expressive violet eyes he had looked into so many times.

'Judy?' His voice was strong although it wavered slightly in confusion.

Nick watched as the eyes of the female fox in front of him watered before she threw herself into his arms, sobbing quietly. 'Nick I don't know what happened…I-I went to bed and then I woke up…like this' Judy stammered out. 'Breathe Carrots breathe' Nick advised, holding her tight against him 'It's going to be okay'.

'How?' Judy asked into his shirt. She lifted her face and looked at him 'I'm scared'. Nick smiled at her although he was as confused as she was 'Don't be, I'm here'. Judy's hold relaxed slightly around his abdomen as she muttered something incoherent into his chest.

'That carrot pen would come in handy right about now' Nick joked and Judy gave a small laugh. 'What do we do?' she asked as her mirth abated. 'We take one step at a time. Baby steps' Nick replied. He led her to a nearby couch and sat down motioning for her to do the same. When she did, he turned so he was facing her. Judy suddenly noticed she could see more of Nick's face now that he was not three heads taller than her and the gaze of his bright emerald eyes had her feeling flustered. She cleared her throat to distract herself from dwelling on the warm feeling coursing throughout her body. 'So what's our first step?' she asked in a bid to pull Nick's gaze away from her. Her ploy worked and Nick's face scrunched up in thought, his hand on his knees. He breathed deeply.

'I think we should go see Dr Rosemary tomorrow' he suggested. Judy nodded and behind her, her tail swished to the right. She jumped slightly in surprise then glared at her tail. 'It's been doing that' she complained to Nick. This new tail was so different from her old one which usually stayed perfectly still and was never any bother to Judy. It was forever moving and in its frenzy had managed to knock off a few things on the shelves and table tops.

'Frisky aren't we?' Nick said in reply. The words brought a completely different image to Judy's mind than what she was sure Nick had meant. She managed a weak smile at Nick 'It's hard to get used to'.

'Hopefully, you won't need to. I'm sure Dr Rosemary will have positive news' Nick assured. Judy shrugged in an exhausted manner and Nick didn't fail to notice. 'C'mere' he held his arms open for his bunny, er, fox partner to crawl into and nestle her head on his shoulder. In a few minutes, Judy was fast asleep and her arms lay limp at her side.

However, sleep did not come so easy for Nick. Jackson's little act had come at a bad time. It would be mating season in mere days and now his best friend had been somehow morphed into a fox. He breathed deeply in frustration at the extremely bad timing and it didn't help that Judy had turned out to be a very good looking fox. If Dr Rosemary did find a cure that could reverse what the mutated Night Howler had done, it wouldn't be in time.

Nick sighed and looked at his bi mammal partner. Her peaceful sleeping face brought a smile to his tired face. 'Carrots, what am I going to do with you?' He rested his chin atop her head and closed his eyes in surrender to sleep. Before long it claimed him, leaving the two mammals asleep in each other's embrace.

 **Woo, I wrote this on a roll, hope you guys like it.**

 **Review and tell me what you think, I'm open to opinions and criticism. Till next time!**

 **Ite**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4; BAD NEWS

Both Nick and Judy stared at the giant panda bear sitting at the other side of the doctor's table in surprise, confusion, hurt and most of all, shock. 'A-are you sure?' Judy managed to utter, being the first between the two of them to speak. Doctor Rosemary looked at her with pity in her eyes before nodding. 'Unfortunately so. The mutated Night Howler in your blood stream may have damaged and altered your DNA permanently. Tests taken of samples of your blood have yielded nothing but a change in your DNA and until we can find an appropriate amount of this mutated Night Howler to study…there is nothing we can do'

'Also, why your body adapted the biology of a fox rather than any other mammal is still unknown to us as well. But I must warn you, Ms. Hopps. While we are trying our utmost best to make sure reverse what has been done, we have very little samples to work with, To be honest, I fear we may not find anything at all'

'But what about Jackson?' Judy asked 'There must be something he knows'.

Dr Rosemary rubbed her forehead in exasperation 'Believe me we have tried to get him to talk but without success. I believe he prefers being an obstacle than a help to us' she said in mild irritation about Jackson's behavior. 'Do you think it might help if I talked to him?' Judy suggested. Dr Rosemary paused and seemed to consider that option. 'Maybe' she replied at last 'But you will see him alone. I'm sure Mr. Wilde wouldn't mind a jail term if Jackson did so much as sneer at you'.

Nick frowned at the doctor 'Hey, I can be level headed'. Dr Rosemary raised one of her thick eyebrows at him as if to say 'Really?'

'Ask any of the nurses outside to lead you to ward 347. You'll find him there' she said to Judy. 'Thank you' Judy said, flashing a weak smile at the doctor. In truth, her head was reeling with all she had learned in the past hour and the questions that had come with it. She glanced at Nick reassuringly before exiting the room.

As she did so, Dr Rosemary watched her leave before her eyes shifted to Nick who was sitting in silence with a look of deep thought on his face. 'Don't tell me you're going to throw a tantrum Mr. Wilde. I merely thought that seeing you might cause Mr. Jackson to suffer shock seeing as you are the one who broke his neck' she said to the still fox.

He turned and looked at her then pushed his hands into his pockets as if looking for the right words to say. Nick opened his mouth then closed it again in a fit of indecision. He usually did not have any problems talking with mammals regardless of their profession but he was embarrassed to say the least on what he was trying talk about to the doctor.

'You need hormone suppressants?' Dr Rosemary asked calmly looking at him square in the face. Nick raised his head and looked at her in mild shock 'How did you know?'

'I'm a doctor honey and while Judy's case is the first I've seen in my lifetime, you are not the first mammal want to miss out on the craze of mating season' Dr Rosemary winked at him 'and she is beautiful'.

Nick shook his head at her, effectively hiding the blush on his cheeks while the doctor scribbled something on a prescription sheet.

'Here' she said handing it over to him 'These should help. You can pick them from the pharmacy on your way out'.

As Nick took it from her, his expression changed from relieved embarrassment to suave and cool 'Thanks Doc. I'll see you around then'. It was when he was outside the door that Rosemary realized the ring on her middle finger was missing.

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Taking a deep breath, Judy pushed open the door of room 347 effortlessly in her new found state. The room was medium sized and air conditioned with a bed in the middle. Beside it was a stand on which a drip bag was hung and connected to a small individual who was breathing hoarsely, a carton coloured cast on his neck.

'Jackson' Judy murmured her tone filled with loath and hate. Said person turned upon hearing his name and when he saw the silver fox a huge smirk threatened to crack his face. 'Looks like you ain't much of a bunny now are you' Jackson snickered to himself 'You a damn predator now!' He began laughing hysterically at something only he found funny.

'What did you do to me?' Judy asked quietly, internally surprised at how calm she was being.

Jackson's laughter subsided at her question although he still had a giant grin on his face 'What does it look like? I changed you' he replied with a chuckle.

'How?' Judy demanded, her violet eyes flashing with holy anger. 'Why?'

At the second question, Jackson's grin turned feral and he sneered at her 'Why?' he repeated 'Because you was always sticking your nose where it don't belong! Some stupid bunny from nowhere gets it in her head that she can become a cop and when she does she doesn't stop at that, she gotta be Miss Know It All and become this city's hero. You disgust me Judy Hopps'

'I began to hate you when you began the crackdown on the underground clubs that were making the mutated Night Howler. Those people you arrested and locked up, they was my family and one by one, you was picking them up and taking them away from me. I had to get my revenge, pay you back the way you was doing to me. And the only way to do that was to take away your family just the way you were taking away mine. An eye for an eye, don't some Holy Book say that?'

Jackson paused, coughing dryly and hoarsely while Judy looked on feeling not one iota of sympathy for the deranged weasel. 'Don't you dare go near my family Jackson' she threatened and without her will, claws began to slowly extend from her paw.

'Of course I'm not going to do that. I'm greedy, not stupid. I ain't gonna hurt your family, you are. Think of it, you might have started a stupid mentality that predator and prey can get along but that mentality ends in Zootopia. Way out in the suburbs, that don't exist and now you are the predator and your family, they is the prey. It took quite some time but we finally managed to whip up something, a version of the Night Howler that could reverse biology' Jackson smiled at her.

'There was only one snag to the Night Howler; it adapted the body to the biology of whatever mammal you came in contact with immediately after. That posed a problem for me because you could be around anybody at anytime. And then you feds shows up a few days later and raid our hideout. I was the only one to escape. You took away my family, you cops did. When I saw you and that fox that night, well, I just couldn't resist!' Jackson was yelling at this point and Judy could see, feel, the madness in his tone.

'The doctors will find a cure Jackson. They did so for Bellweather's Night Howler and they can do so for yours too' Judy stated in obvious disdain for Jackson.

'You don't get it cop' Jackson was looking at her like she had no access to information only he was privy to 'A shot of that serum is supposed to take effect minutes after being administered. In ma anger, I gave you all three shots and what's more, you woke up five days later' he scoffed 'You ain't ever changing back'

Judy's face turned pale and she stared at Jackson. 'It's making sense now ain't it?' he said 'You a predator now and you can't do a damn thing'

A terrible sinking feeling descended at the bottom of Judy's stomach as she watched Jackson laugh because within her, she knew it was true.

 **Hope you guys like it, don't forget, read & review please!**

 **I live for feedback ;)**

 **Ite**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5;

It was supposed to be a quiet drive home from the hospital for Nick. Once Judy had stepped out of Jackson's ward, Nick could immediately see that he had said something that had managed to get under her skin. Her eyes were sad and out of focus and her shoulders hung in a defeated manner. Judy had not said a word when she saw him, but had immediately taken his paw and held it tight. Her expression had not changed when Dr Rosemary came to bid them goodbye as they were leaving the hospital, and not even when she sternly gazed at Nick and touched something in the pocket of her lab coat for assurance.

Nick knew she would tell him when she was ready but the urge to do something worse to Jackson than snap his neck was undeniably stronger. From the corner of his eyes, he glanced at Judy and frowned a bit when he saw she was absent mindedly staring into space. It was literally killing him, the feeling of not knowing any way to comfort his friend.

'Hey. You want to get something to eat?' Nick asked pulling to a stop as the traffic light turned red. Judy blinked rapidly before replying with a shake of her head 'No I don't feel hungry'.

Nick puffed out a breath at her excuse 'That's what you said this morning. If you are going to lie, you do it with passion, confidence. There is no way a disciple of mine should be this bad at lying'. Nick's little speech elicited no reaction from Judy who just stared into space as before, with Jackson's words reverberating in her head.

 _'…take away your family just like you were taking away mine…'_

 _'…I ain't gonna hurt them, you are…'_

 _'…That serum was supposed to take effect minutes after being administered…in ma anger I gave you all three shots…you woke up five days later…'_

 _'…you a damn predator now…'_

Nick sighed quietly at Judy's reaction (or rather, her lack of one) with no idea of what to do. He was considering dragging her to a MacDuck's when an arm reached in through her open window and snatched her sky blue hand bag from its position atop her laps. Both Nick and Judy's heads snapped up immediately to see that the coarse paw belonged to a (of all mammals Nick thought despairingly) dirty aging weasel.

Nick didn't have to look at Judy to know that her eyes were widening proportionally in shock and he silently wished all the weasels in Zootopia would fall dead at once. The weasel laughed as he threw the handbag to a nearby partner in crime who happened to be an equally dirty bobcat and they began to run away.

Something snapped in Judy's mind as she heard that laughter which to her ears sounded so much like Jackson's. It seemed liked he was laughing at her all over again, laughing at what he had done to her…and getting away with it. In that moment of clarity, the fog of despair and defeat which had enveloped her like a cloak lifted and realization hit her like a thunderbolt. She was still Judy Hopps regardless of what had happened to her. She was still that girl who had defied all odds to become a police officer because she wanted to and she was still a cop, the cop who had proved your dreams do come true and there was no way any mammal was going to steal her happiness, family, mood or her handbag.

She was pulled back to reality when Nick slammed his door close as he jumped out of the car, prepared to chase the two thieves. 'Wait here!' he yelled to Judy as he disappeared round the corner where they had disappeared into. Judy smirked, a look that most foxes would have found incredibly sexy 'No way'.

Nick frowned as he saw that the street he had turned into divided into two. Behind him, he heard the patter of feet and looked backwards. Judy was running towards him with a determined look on her face that reminded him of the time she had tricked him into helping her further in the Otterson case by making him climb over the fence to get the carrot pen she threw while she just burrowed under the ground. It seemed the theft had awakened her in some way and Nick had a quiet suspicion that a certain thief was going to be rechristened 'punching bag'. 'You take left and I'll take right' he said before running down the right part of the backstreet. Before long he saw the bobcat in front of him panting harshly and obviously out of breath. And when he saw Nick, he attempted to make a run for it but was stopped in stride literally as Nick lunged at him, tackling him to the ground.

Our fox hero emerged successful out of the alleyway panting slightly and Judy's bag with him. He peered at his car parked by the far corner of the street not really surprised when Judy was not there to mock his less than fit state. With a shake of his head, he turned and began walking down the left side of the alleyway.

'…with my feelings!' a soft thud and a sharp cry of pain followed the phrase and Nick guessed Judy had caught the weasel.

'And this…this is for looking like Jackson!' another thud with an even sharper cry pervaded the alleyway. Nick finally turned the corner and saw Judy raise her leg in the air, just about ready to deal out another dosage of pain.

'And this is because I want to!' Judy kicked the weasel again and he groaned painfully, while clutching his midsection.

'Fluff, this is mammal abuse. You could get sanctioned for it' Nick said with a grin, thoroughly amused. He threw her the handbag and leaned against the wall to study the beaten thief while Judy searched her bag furiously for something. The weasel had seen better days, that much was sure. He was bleeding from the mouth and seemed to be half unconscious, nothing too serious. Nick smiled, Judy seemed to be careful even when exacting semi revenge.

'Aha!' Judy gave a cry of victory and raised an object high above her head and Nick had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Judy was holding a taser high, looking at the weasel on the ground with all the evil her eyes could muster. Within a second, she had jammed it into him and pressed the button. The weasel groaned and convulsed on the ground one last time before falling unconscious. 'Well' Judy grinned 'That was refreshing'. She got up from her squatting position and looked at Nick seriously 'We have to get this guy to the hospital'.

At this, Nick laughed out loud giving up trying not to, and gave her a thumbs-up of agreement.

 **A million thanks to all those who are reading this, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Read and review!**

 **Ite**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6; SHOPPING!

'So tell me again, what exactly happened?'

The doctor looked at Nick and Judy somewhat dubiously as Nick narrated the story all over to him again.

'Right, so the two mammals steal her handbag through the open window so we go after them but the thing is, when we get to the alley, they're beating each other up over the bag. The other guy ran away and we couldn't just leave the weasel to bleed to death, could we?'

He raised his eyebrows at the doctor in a sort of question while Judy coughed discreetly to hide her smile. 'No' the doctor conceded reluctantly 'But your story doesn't really concur with the gibberish the patient has been muttering for the past hour'

Nick shrugged effortlessly, ever the lying expert 'That guy has probably been a junkie for his entire life. I doubt he is supposed to make sense'

The doctor adjusted his glasses and pushed them up the bridge of his nose 'Well, you two did well bringing him here, he should be fine in a day or two. Excuse me'

The moment the steel door closed soundlessly behind him, Judy erupted into a fit of giggles.

'I can't believe you' she gasped, clutching her stomach and pointing at Nick.

'You're still learning kid' Nick responded sagely 'One day, you will be as good as me'

His act wasn't nearly enough reason to stop her from punching him in the arm all the while still laughing.

Later, he would complain how it had hurt him so, but in truth, he was just glad Judy was smiling again.

=============0_0==========================0_0=================

Judy Hopps' ability to convince even the most stubborn of men never failed to awe Nick, partly because right now he was witnessing the rabbit turned fox literally bully the fright inducing police chief into letting her come back to work and over a telephone line no less. Nick reclined further in the couch, closing his eyes and let himself go with the flow, while also enjoy hearing Judy shout down Bogo.

'Good news!' Judy practically yelled with a large grin on her face. Nick couldn't see it but he could feel it. 'Bogo let me come back to work! He's cutting my bed rest short!'

'I wonder how you did it' Nick said in amused sarcasm as he watched her bounce in giddiness through half lidded eyes. He would never get enough of his partner.

'Well, don't just sit there, come on, we're going shopping!' Judy said impatiently, subconsciously tapping her foot hard against the floor hard, at least that part of her had not been changed by her alteration. 'What?' Nick asked startled 'You want to go shopping?'

Judy nodded 'you don't expect me to walk around in clothes that are sizes too small for me, do you?' She twirled to emphasize her point unintentionally giving Nick full view of her body.

She had pretty much given up on wearing a bra these days as all the ones she had didn't fit. The same went for her clothes. Judy's wardrobe literally consisted of yoga pants and tight shirts which of course were not a lot. Nick watched her breasts jiggle as she twirled and his face immediately turned a deep shade of crimson. He averted his eyes quickly, coughing quietly to distract himself from the R-rated pictures coursing throughout his mind.

'This is the mating season talking. Yeah the mating season, don't panic. It'll pass' he thought to himself, grateful he had not forgotten to take one of the small red pills Dr. Rosemary had given him. 'Nick?' he heard Judy call. He turned to face her and immediately regretted it. She had her arms folded and was looking at him intently with a hint of concern on her face. He decided to focus on her face though the task proved even more difficult when she leaned closer to peer at him. 'Are you okay?' she asked, gazing at him steadily. Nick wavered under the intense stare and a wave of guilt washed over him as he found himself staring at her cleavage once more 'I-I'm fine' he straightened and looked at her, properly this time 'You want to go out like that?' he asked, referring to her tight shorts and even tighter top. Judy looked down at herself and a half smile passed over her face.

'Those used to be trousers' she mused before replying Nick 'Yes. Believe me when I tell you these are the loose clothes'. A wave of possessiveness passed through Nick 'You can't go out like that!' he all but yelled 'I mean, do you know how much attention you would draw to yourself?'

'Not the good type' Judy agreed then waved her hands in clear frustration 'But what do I do? Go out naked?' In times where the imagination overtakes the rational thought process i.e times like this, Nick was glad he had red fur. For a moment, he wondered how it would be like to see Judy naked then frowned to find himself thinking about it.

'Too extreme' he said half heartedly when he realized Judy was waiting for a reply. She shrugged in a way that said 'So why are you complaining?'

'But' he continued 'You can wear one of my shirts. I'm sure I can find something that will fit you'

Judy smiled, one that slowed Nick's heartbeat and coloured his cheeks deeper. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a jealous boyfriend' she proclaimed as she turned to go get her bag.

Nick stared after her, stock still.

Nick Wilde…a jealous boyfriend… to Judy Hopps? The idea was more appealing than originally intended and this time Nick did nothing to stop the images in his head.

============O_O=====================O_O===========================

The store they had come with was one none of them had been to before, which was what Nick had been gunning for; Judy's enthusiasm had subtly depleted when Nick had mentioned one of her favourite clothing stores and without asking he knew she would prefer going to a place where she was not well known.

She had disappeared to the changing rooms with a store attendant who had been rather puzzled when Judy had embarrassingly revealed that she actually did not know what sizes would fit her. Nick had found it cute, her blushing mortified face.

At the moment, Nick was trying to avoid the lewd glances a rather beautiful wolf was sending his way. She was a tiny specimen of her species and was very forward about what she wanted from him. He felt cornered as he saw her lick her lips from the corner of his eyes and uncross her legs, spreading them.

His cheeks coloured as he stared dutifully at his phone screen, never mind the fact that it was as blank as his mind; really, the nerve of some mammals.

'What do you think?' came Judy's voice from in front of him. Nick looked up to see her in one of the most seductive dresses he'd ever seen. It was a shimmery body wrap that did little to hide the curves of her new form, and he drank the sight up with his eyes, staring.

'It's too tight, isn't it? I told Megan it was' she said uncomfortably, tugging at the dress, referring to the store assistant.

'You look…'

 _'Sexy'_

'…beautiful. I think you should get it' Nick swallowed as his eyes roamed her body.

'Are you sure?' Judy asked 'It makes me feel… strange'.

While Megan had been helping her pick out clothes that were to her taste, she had tried to strike up a conversation with Judy, finally settling on boyfriends (It was rather inevitable).

'Your boyfriend is cute' Megan sighed as she handed Judy a pair of black jeans. 'Nick?' Judy squeaked 'He's not my boyfriend'

'It was thoughtful of him to follow you here. Thoughtful and sweet, and he's not half bad when it comes to looks. How is he in the sack?' Megan chattered as they walked through an aisle of tops. 'Nick is not my boyfriend' Judy said, looking away as she followed the cheerful sow 'We're just friends'

'Friends or fuck buddies?' Megan asked candidly.

'Are you always this interrogative with shoppers?' Judy asked, embarrassed to be at the other end of the stick.

'Well, I love gossip, so it was either this or being a bar maid. I can't handle drunks very well' Megan shrugged 'Is he rough during this time of the year?'

Judy blushed vibrantly at the sudden change in conversation 'Like I said, Nick and I are just friends; he doesn't even think of me that way. Mating season or not, that won't change'

'Right' the sow said somewhat doubtfully 'Glad to see the season of lust has left your logical sense unscathed. Well, in case something does happen, make it special'. She shoved something into Judy's hands and continued walking as if nothing had happened. Judy's face ushered in a whole new shade of red as she looked at the incriminating item dangling from her paw.

'Megan!' she whisper yelled furiously 'You can't go around shoving thongs into mammal's paws!'

'Don't be so prudish, ma'am, you're going to need it sooner or later' Megan grinned.

'For the last time, Nick and I are not like that, nothing is going to happen between us' Judy corrected, alternating her gaze between the item in her hands and the cheerful sow in front of her.

'Be sure to use condoms, we don't want a litter now do we?' Megan called back.

Now, as Nick gazed at her with that lazy grin she had grown to love, Judy's mind went to the conversation she had had a few seconds ago; did Nick really see her like that? Someone he could… mate with?

'If you don't feel comfortable in it, you should get something else' he said gently 'Although it looks great on you'

He winked and Judy smiled 'Be serious' she pouted in an effort to seem displeased 'I'll try on something else'

She left quickly, wondering how it would feel to have him kiss her then shook her head because, she reasoned, she was letting Megan's talk get to her.

Nick was her friend, and she was his. Nothing would change that.

They were friends, not fuck buddies, and definitely not lovers, even if the thought of it had her blushing again.

 **Thanks to all who reviewed, I really appreciate it, hope you are enjoying the story,**

 **Till next time!**

 **Ite**


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7: REALIZATION

Judy had been awake for hours and it was not for the reasons she had expected.

There's a time in everyone's lives when something exceptionally daunting happens to them and the reality doesn't sink in until much later at a time when they do not expect. She had experienced it before, during her childhood when Gideon Gray had scratched at her in a classic example of bullying. At the time, it did not dawn on her that claw marks had marred her pretty face, it just encouraged her dream to become a police officer.

It had been a few years later when she was well on her way to becoming a young doe that it had suddenly arrested her attention; she had been scratched on her face!. Thankfully, her skin had healed and the matter had not escalated.

Now, like all those years ago, the gravity of what had happened to her hit her like an express train. She was no longer a rabbit but a fox, a vulpine.

Time went slow in that one moment, and the ticking of the clock on the wall and the low hum of the background noise of the street beside her apartment complex faded away into nothingness as Judy's consciousness bore down on her heavily. The last few weeks began to replay like a slideshow in her mind and powerless to stop it, she became an unwilling audience to her reality.

She and Nick had gone to celebrate with a few drinks after a major crackdown, she had seen Jackson;

 _'Jackson is a Night Howler dealer Nick. I'm just taking precautions'_

 _'To hell with precautions'_

They had followed him and in a moment of weakness, he had shot her:

 _'Samuel Jackson, This is the ZPD, you are under arrest. Put your hands in the air and get on your knees'_

 _'If ya say so'_

She had woken in the hospital, normal for the time being and as always worried about work:

 _'You've been here for five days, Fluff'_

 _'Five days? I've been here for five days?! I've got to get back to work!'_

She had been discharged and ready to pretend the run in with the slimy weasel never happened, until she woke up… changed and in a panic she had called Nick:

 _'Nick I don't know what happened…I-I went to bed and then I woke up…like this'_

 _'Breathe Carrots breathe' 'It's going to be okay'._

Only, it wasn't.

As if in a trance, Judy sat up, lifting the covers off her body and got out of bed, slowly making her way to the mirror that these days, had been used much more than ever before, and just stared. Stared at who she had become and how she was so very different from whom she had been before. She stared at the mix of mammals before her, a two in one combo who was stuck in an identity crisis because the mammal in front of her was different, very different from the bunny who had left Bunnyburrow for the place where 'Anyone can be Anything' except who she was now, was not who she had set out to be.

Judy felt the prickly sting in her eyes before a lone single tear fell, taking its time to roll off every new contour of her face until it was joined by more of its kind, and her chin becoming a roof to hold the rain of tears back.

'At least they are all the same' Judy thought miserably to her weeping reflection 'None is different'

Suddenly, she felt lost, lost without her signature long ears and somewhat diminutive stature. Her tail flicked minutely, reflecting her mood and Judy brought her hands to her face to hide the expression of defeat it presented, to shield her eyes from seeing her crumpling will.

She fell to the floor in a fit of tears, crying out all the anger, sadness, frustration and grief that had been hidden behind a smile, behind a desperate attempt to ensure normalcy.

Crying out, for what she had lost.

* * *

Nick had been chipper that morning, because even though Judy seemed to have accepted what had happened to her, he knew she was still hurting, and even if it meant smiling till he got crow's feet at the corner of his eyes, he would remain upbeat for his best friend and maybe his happiness would be enough for them both.

That had been his resolution, to remain the happy emoji and he had been fully ready to embrace his cause, at least until he got a call from HQ.

Dark Horse by Katy Pony blasting from his phone had been his first clue that something was wrong, because he had assigned the ring tone to Chief Bogo's number and if his boss calling him this early in the morning was not a bad sign, then Nick didn't know what was.

"Officer Wilde here, Is anything the matter sir?" He went straight to the point, preferring not to waste any time in case this pertained to Judy. "Wilde, have you seen the news yet?" The chief's voice was gruff as usual but Nick could just detect the slightest hint of anger in it.

"No, car chase?"

"Worse. The ZTV are reporting live from outside HQ demanding to speak with Hopps. Apparently, a 'reliable source' informed them that Zootopia's favourite mammal had been contaminated with a drug that was much worse than the Night Howler and the ZPD is keeping her away from the public eye "

Nick cursed quietly while Chief Bogo waited patiently for him to loosen up. On any other day, he might have reproached the fox, but the matter at hand was severe and given how close he and Judy were, he could understand.

"What do you want me to do?' Nick asked after a minute.

"Keep Hopps away from the station and stay in yourself. If they don't get to her, you are going to be their next option" Chief Bogo said by way of reply "And make sure Hopps doesn't worry herself sick"

"Roger" Nick agreed before cutting the call. Looking down at himself, he decided changing into more casual clothes than his uniform would be in order, as well as picking up some ice- cream.

* * *

"I only wanna die alive, never by the hands of a broken heart

Don't let me hear you lie tonight, now—"

"Confess! You were the one who put the poison in Indira's tea—"

"Here we are, outside the ZPD Head Quarters where we—"

"Happy Birthday to you, happy—"

Judy paused suddenly; what had that other channel being saying about the ZPD? She went back a bit, finally stumbling on it once more.

"…has yet to reply us while we have not glimpsed Miss Hopps. From our source, we learnt that Miss Hopps was affected by a deadlier version of the Night Howler, one that has affected her to a large extent though we are not sure in which way. Also absent is her partner, Nicholas Wilde who is currently unavailable and will not be able to speak to us. In a few minutes, Police Chief Bogo will be holding a discussion with us and hopefully explain the disappearance of Zootopia's power team. We can only hope our favourite bunny officer is alright. In related news—"

The TV snapped off as Judy flung the remote on a chair so hard, its batteries popped out. "Favourite bunny officer? I'm not even that anymore" She scoffed, sadness and anger coming together in an uneasy mix. She ran both paws over her head, agitated and contemplating if she wanted to face that horde of reporters by going to HQ.

The doorbell rang before she could make up her mind and Judy trudged towards the door, massaging her forehead with one paw while she unlocked the door with the other. "Nick" she said tiredly as she stepped aside to let him in, managing a small smile for her favourite mammal.

Nick had been about to reply with a quip about her lack of enthusiasm when he saw her face. She looked spent and at an all time low, something he found he didn't like. He dropped the bags he had brought with him and turned to face her "I take it you saw the news" he said gently.

Judy's expression plunged even lower as he said the words and this wasn't lost on Nick "Yeah"

"Do you want to talk about it? You look like you need to" Nick offered. "What good is that going to do?" Judy said despondently, her happy self nowhere near resurfacing "What they're expecting is a 3 foot doe, the savoir of Zootopia; they're worried about the cop who stopped Bellweather not… not me. Not the current me"

Nick was stunned; having never thought he would see the day Judy would lose her self confidence. He watched as she slowly raised her arms to cover her eyes, trying to stop tears that were already rolling down her face.

He didn't think as he closed the distance between them, enclosing her in a tight warm hug. That was all it took for Judy to let loose, she hugged him back, squeezing him hard and yet Nick did not mind.

Judy held on to him like a lifeline; knowing that Nick was here, with her, felt soothing to her like a cool balm to her wounded psyche.

"Carrots, this may not be much coming from a dumb fox, but personally I think you are one of the greatest mammals I have ever met, never mind what species you may be. To me, it's what under the fur that matters" He hugged her harder "And I would never exchange you for anyone else"

Judy buried her face in his chest at his words, muttering something Nick did not catch and inhaling his scent.

"What?" Nick asked, craning his neck to look at her. "You're not a dumb fox" Judy repeated a bit louder "Not to me"

Nick smiled "No more sad business Fluff, okay?"

"I'll try" Judy said into his chest but Nick shook his head and held her shoulders so she looked at him "Promise me"

He held her shoulders so that she faced him and stared into her lavender eyes.

Judy huffed but did not turn away. She couldn't, not with those oceans of jade pinning her "I promise"

He smiled at her again reassuringly before turning to the bags he had brought. Judy followed him, curious as to what Nick had come with. "What are in the bags?" Judy asked, trying to peek over his shoulder.

"I figured we haven't had a movie night in weeks and so I stopped to pick up some movies and ice cream" He held up two CDs "So, do you want to cry first or laugh first? Don't worry; we'll eat the ice cream in both case scenarios so you have no reason to be biased"

Judy laughed as she reached for his right hand, feeling her bad mood dwindling…

(45 Minutes Later…)

Judy held Nick's hand, utterly reduced to a quivering mass of tears while also spooning ice cream into her mouth with her other hand. Nick had giving up tactically removing his hand whenever she was engrossed in the movie because as soon as a sad part came on, she would reach for it , and no matter where his hand was, she would grab it and hold it in a vice like grip, too wrapped up to notice Nick's grimace of pain.

On screen, the hero had just broken up with his love interest, because he was going to war and wanted her to be 'free' in case he never returned. Nick watched in both confusion and fascination as Judy trembled as the ill fated lovers shared one last kiss before breaking out in tears(and in sync with the heroine on screen!).

She must have really needed a good cry.

"I… I don't understand" Nick said confused "What—"

"Shh" Judy shushed and abandoned holding Nick's hand in favour of slapping her paw over his mouth and then her voice wavered "He's riding off with his battalion"

Nick's eyebrows raised and then his eyes lidded in what was the equivalent of a smirk. He licked her paw, taking in the faint hint of ice cream and waiting for Judy's reaction.

This provocative action was not lost on Judy whose eyes flickered to Nick's face, her concentration broken by the sensation of having a warm wet appendage slide over her paw. They locked eyes and for a moment Judy felt a tingly feeling run throughout her body, making her toes curl in anticipation. She didn't know exactly what she was expecting, but surely there were better ways Nick could put his tongue to use.

The way Judy was staring at him, with surprise and innocence, was enough to make Nick repeat what he had done and slowly, he ran his tongue over her paw again. Something passed in her eyes, an emotion he found hard to place; Anticipation? Excitement? …Lust?

A loud boom interrupted the moment and Judy turned to the TV just in time to see an attractive wolf hit by the explosion, flying away. "Sean!" she yelled in agony, her hand leaving Nick's muzzle as she crawled towards the TV set "NO! Don't die, Lucy's waiting for you!'

The character did not heed Judy's advice however as he hit the ground with a sharp crack. Judy's eyes widened, watching him roll on the ground in pain while his fellow soldiers ran past him to combat the enemy.

Nick was pissed, needless to say, and it was unfortunate it would be poor Officer Fangmeyer and not Sean that would suffer the brunt of his anger the next day.

 **A'right,** **the chapters are becoming longer...** **Not sure if this is good or not.** **But, good news, there's fluff!**

 **Poor Nick :)**

 **R &R guys**

 **Ite**


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8: UNDERSTANDING

The door to his ward opened but Samuel Jackson did not bother to turn away from his glorious view of Zootopia by the window. Perhaps he did not bother because he knew who had come.

"Officer Wilde, pleasure ta see you eh?" Jackson's voice was jovial but his demeanor was anything but. "You know why I'm here" Nick said curtly, his voice sounding harsh "How did you contact the media?"

Jackson smiled cruelly "Don't ya mean why?"

Nick snorted "I couldn't care less about your reasons, how did you contact the ZTV?"

"It's none of ya business, I ain't talking" Jackson sneered "And there ain't nothing you can do ta me"

Nick glared at the old weasel "It must have been someone from the hospital; because the TV station wouldn't have been so confident whoever told them was a reliable source. Who did you pay?"

Jackson merely turned away and said nothing to Nick. It had never been more tempting to shoot Jackson and end it all but Nick held his peace."You heard of Revere?" he asked Jackson. At the name, Jackson's ears twitched although he kept silent.

"The state court's re-instating the electric chair just for him. I figured you might want to know, after all, he is your son"

Jackson turned to face him with a snarl and this time, Nick smiled savagely at him "It seems you both are trying so hard to be heroes, only he's more demented than you are; caused a mass genocide in Tundratown, looking for you"

Nick came closer "There's something you're not telling me and I have a feeling it has to do with what you did to Judy" He paused "What is it Jackson?"

"Fucking get out of my room" The weasel hissed "Get the fuck out!"

Nick did not leave, although he did take a step back. Jackson opened the windows to let in some fresh air.

"Hopps had what happened coming to her, one way or another. I just happened to be the nearest pawn" Jackson closed his eyes.

Nick's face hardened "What do you mean 'pawn'?"

"I'm saying it ain't me you should be afraid of, cop. Yeah, I shot her with the Night Howler, but I ain't the one who made it" Jackson said somberly "And I ain't the one who blabbed to the ZTV"

His face looked so weathered and beaten that it was almost tempting to pity him "I would tell you who, only I ain't gonna let Hopps go that easy. She's gonna get what coming to her soon enough and it's gonna break her"

Throughout his dialogue, he had been moving closer to the open window like a mammal on a mission and as he paused, Nick noticed he was too close to it for comfort.

"Jackson" he said warningly. "Ya'll gonna regret it" Jackson hissed before flinging himself over the windowsill. Nick reached out but he was too late, missing Jackson's hind paw by an inch. He could only look in despair as the mammal descended further down, before cracking his head open on the smooth tiled floor of the ground floor.

The hospital erupted in screams.

* * *

Nick stood pensively as Jackson's personal room was closed off by two police officers. Even after the blood had been wiped off and Jackson's body taken to the mortuary, he couldn't get the way he had killed himself out of his head. That and Jackson's last words; somebody was after Judy, after his Judy. The thought made his furious and afraid at the same time.

"Wilde" Chief Bogo said by way of greeting, coming to stand beside Nick. "Chief" Nick replied staring steadily at Jackson's room door.

"What happened?"

"You already heard didn't you?" Nick replied a bit snarkily.

"I want to hear it from you" Chief Bogo said, deliberately ignoring Nick's attitude. The fox could be difficult when he wanted to "It has something to do with what's been happening recently, the break-ins?"

"What break-ins?" Nick asked suddenly alert. "What did Jackson say?" Bogo asked, looking and sounding very much the superior. Nick grumbled but related Jackson's final moments minutely "I have a feeling that all this is part of a bigger picture we can't see" he ended, running a hand over his head thoughtfully "Especially now Revere's also made an appearance"

"What break-ins were you talking about?" he asked Bogo, not bothering to hide the impatience in his tone.

Bogo handed him a relatively small file before replying "There have been multiple small thefts in the inner slums of Zootopia" he began.

"And?" Nick asked, leafing through the documents. "Chemical shops Wilde. The reported shops are all chemical shops and a few grocery stores as well. I'm sure you can guess what they stole"

"Night Howlers, probably amongst other things" Nick shook his head "Someone's robbing the Black Market"

"Yes. We got word that there's going to be a new consignment south of Savanna Square tomorrow. Considering what has been stolen lately, I'll need you and your partner to check it out"

"Judy will be ecstatic" Nick said, his mouth twitching into a half smile "What about Jackson's body?"

Bogo waved a hand dismissively "Let me worry about that, I'm the Chief"

* * *

When Nick got home, he was ready to pass out. What he wanted right now was a warm bath, hot meal and soft bed, all in that order. However, before all of those came, of course, Judy.

She caught him in a tight hug that had him gasping for breath as soon as he had opened the door and screamed something into his shirt. Nick's first thought was that she was having another breakdown but retracting, he decided that Clawhauser had just been a tattler and told her before he did. Go Clawhauser.

"Clawhauser snitched" he said as soon as he could speak. Judy looked up at him with lavender eyes that shone with amusement and just a little disapproval "It's not snitching if it's good news"

"I was going to be the one to tell you" he grumbled as Judy let him go. He was sure he was imagining it but her fingers danced invitingly over his hips as she stepped back, smiling. Nick shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Bad fox"

"Did he also tell you about Jackson?" he asked curiously. She nodded, biting on her lip. Nick noticed she thumped less often these days and instead did more of that. Vaguely, he wondered if she would do it to hold back her screams under him and unconsciously smiled.

"Yes he—why are you smiling?"

Nick jolted at being caught, then shrugged to cover up his tracks "Nothing. Hey, if you're going to interrogate me, can I at least eat first? I'm starving"

Judy grinned, forgetting to grill him "Oh! I almost forgot" she gripped his hand tightly dragging him to the kitchen where mountains (piles really) of pies met his gaze,

"I was so excited after, I had to do something to burn out my energy; figured you'd like this"

A tear escaped Nick as well as a gasp; he was in heaven,

* * *

Judy stared at Nick's face as he slept, tracing its shape and angles with her eyes with a somewhat mournful yet excited look on her face. After eating they had agreed to watch the news during which Nick had slept off at some point. Judy didn't mind, because it gave her time to think.

She had gone into heat, earlier in the day, and frankly it had come as a surprise to Judy when she had felt that familiar heat creep up her spine pleasurably, sending her into a craze to rut, mate.

The feeling had overtaken her and Judy went red as she remembered coming desperately against her own paw and the word that had escaped her lips as she did so; Nick. She wanted Nick. She didn't know why exactly she had come to his house, just that she had and had spent the time baking to take her mind off plans to push Nick to the ground and have her way with him when he came home.

She nearly did though, reigning herself just in time and hugging him, screaming all she wanted him to do to her into his shirt. She was so close, yet so far. She wanted him to take her, yes, but what would come next?

Would they pretend everything was back to normal after the season of lust or would they go further?

Judy closed her eyes and leaned back into the sofa, she didn't know. Desire was clouding her mind like a thick cloud, but she had to be rational if not for herself then for Nick. They had a good thing going on, and she wasn't to ruin it under the excuse of mating season, even if she was longing to feel Nick inside her.

 **Well, this was hastily written and I can't say I'm satisfied with it but I hope you enjoyed. Thanks so much to all who reviewed the last chapter, t** **hat's really what motivated me to get this out, I was gonna do it next week...**

 **Up next, we have a lemon-ish scene. Steel yourself.**

 **Till next time, Read and Review guys!**

 **Ite**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated in forever. Full explanation below.**_

Chapter 9: Mission, Advice and Action… Maybe

Judy giggled as he closed the door after them, locking it securely. "Impatient are we?" she tsked and then he was in front of her, locking lips with her again. Despite her humour she responded eagerly, piercing his lower lip with one of her canines. Nick growled into her mouth "Fluff"

"Call me Judy" she said, palming his erection beneath his trousers, inwardly shuddering at what it could do to her. "Judy" Nick said quietly, stifling a moan. "Again" Judy whispered, feeling her panties soak. "Judy" he repeated, rock hard. His hand found its way past the openings of her skirt and into her underwear, and a finger slipped in, pumping her.

Judy sighed in pleasure as Nick's fingers worked her, her own fingers deftly pulling down his fly and releasing his member, feeling it throb against her. She came to a stop as her back hit the wooden solid desk. Nick smiled against her lips. Light bulb.

"Let's christen this desk, shall we?" he grinned, exposing his canines. Judy was abruptly brought back to reality as he lifted her from the floor and unto the desk. Nick removed his fingers, making sure Judy followed their journey to his lips through lust filled eyes, desire sparking in them as he licked his paw clean. Their muzzles met and this time Judy fought for dominance, her tongue dancing with Nick's in the battle for superiority, although it was made hard by the way Nick's pelvis rubbed against her in a clear show of distraction.

"Nick" she breathed as she pulled away, "I want you, now"

His paws pushed down the skirt she still wore by way of response, and she kicked it off impatiently, her long legs wrapping around him. Her hand grasped his member, as she pushed herself forward, successfully spearing herself with a pleasant gasp. Nick groaned into her shoulder, pushing himself deeper into her while Judy's paws roamed his chest, pulling at the fur there.

"Harder" she muttered, locking him in with her legs "Nick, I—'

"Nick Nick Nick!"

Judy's- the real Judy- face swam into view as Nick opened his bleary eyes. The first thing he noticed was that she was impossibly red in the face and staring at something quite lower than his face.

Confused, his eyes followed her path of view- down to the proud erection that threatened to burst out of his pants.

Shock chased the sleep away, and Nick jumped up as if she'd poured a full bucket of ice in him.

For several minutes, they did nothing but stare at each other, until Judy's view was once again drawn to his crotch. She swallowed, and feebly drew herself to her feet "We have to get to work…"

"Work?" her inner slut protested "That's your excuse to avoid a good shag?"

"Yes, work!" she thought aloud, although neither of them moved, Nick speechless and Judy desperately trying not to let on she was more than turned on. It could have been the hormones or the fact that someone up there thought WildeHopps was a great couple name, but the morning only got worse from thereon.

The situation was entirely cliché, like the teenage romances Judy had given up years ago. She and Nick had gone on their mission as planned, though the process of being in the same car had been mortifying and awkward, Judy not exactly helping the situation by glancing at Nick's crotch time and again.

Suddenly they were like a pair of teenagers during the morning after: embarrassed emerald eyes refusing to meet equally mortified magenta, and so the morning went on, the awkwardness eventually following them to their scheduled mission which proved to be more dangerous than they had anticipated.

For starters, Judy had never been in the slums of Zootopia before, and might have thought of them as a fantasy before she started working for the ZPD. The idea of the city of dreams having such a bad side to it was not at all appealing, and if she had her way she'd rather not be here. However, this had a good side to it; she was not focusing on Nick.

Seeing as they had come here for information, the duo were dressed in casual clothes, although they had their tasers and walkie-talkies concealed beneath their shirts.

Admittedly, the residents of the slums were reluctant to talk, turning their faces away from these 'snobs' from the town and being generally hostile. They eventually found a few who were ready to talk – for a fee of course- and were soon directed to a shabby looking place of a house. A group of five cheetahs were loading crates of glass into an old pickup truck. The largest of them all snarled when one of them carelessly threw a crate into the back of the truck, oblivious to the two interested pair of eyes watching the operation.

"Careful, you idiot, that's my money you're throwing!'

The one being scolded frowned but did not say anything in reply. The area was almost deserted save for these five workers and a caterpillar having a steamy affair with a sexy blade of grass.

They paused as the two officers approached them, and Nick smiled like he was meeting old friends.

"Hey"

They didn't answer as the largest of them all who Judy had secretly termed the foreman raised an eyebrow at the two foxes.

"Can I have a look at the crates?"

It was Judy who spoke this time and she gestured towards the back of the pickup.

"What for?" The voice was a nasally gruff tone and out of habit, Judy reached for her ID, before remembering she'd look foolish when the pictures didn't match, Instead, she flashed her badge as Nick did the same, not missing the widened snarl one of the cheetahs gave then.

The cheetahs still didn't budge and Judy nudged her head forward motioning towards the crates "What are in those?"

Nick was content to let Judy do the talking, lazily scanning the mammals in front of them while his paws rested inside his pockets. He turned to the side, making sure no one had snuck into the driver's seat while the others delayed before paying attention to the scene on front of him again. Just in time to see a recent event replay in front of him again, as if in slow motion. Judy stepped forward as one of the cheetahs pulled out a gun.

A deafening crack filled the air, smoke milling out from the rim of a gun.

 _ **So short chapter, eh?**_

 _ **Hope this has appeased you for a while, next chappie should be out... next week? I'll try.**_

 _ **Before you think I'm slacking off, i'll have you know that I spent the whole of December and a greater part of January in a real life african village. Mosquitos, no electricty, hot nights, no internet... you name it.**_

 _ **And then my younger brother had an accident leading to a dislocated fracture where i had to stay in the hospital, taking care of him, and just when i return to the wonderful oh so wonderful metropolis, mock exams begin. I'm swamped.**_

 _ **Well, at least Christmas was eventful right?**_

 _ **Though it's late, Happy New Year to all my wonderful readers, enjoy your lives! :)**_

 _ **Ja ne!**_

 _ **-Ite**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Forgotten Pills

Nick twirled his cocktail in his hand, Imagine Dragons blasting behind him, unconsciously tapping his foot to the lively beat of the song. This was his fifth drink so far and with the way he suddenly chugged it down, it would evidently not be his last.

He waved curtly to the bartender and the bear frowned before sighing and getting another chilled glass. Nick and Finnick had frequented his bar long enough for him to recognize the face of one of the duo.

"Rough day?" he asked, as he smoothly slid the tumbler to Nick's waiting paw.

"Sort of" Nick mumbled in reply, staring into the blue of his drink.

The bear said nothing more and left to attend to whatever duties required his attention.

Nick gazed at his drink despondently, his polished nature gone for the moment as he remembered the mission earlier that day.

-Flashback-

Judy stepped forward as one of the cheetahs pulled out a gun.

Nick reacted before he thought about it, pulling out a gun that he would be confident to say he had never used before. He fired and the cheetah fell, the shot connecting with his shoulder. He turned to the other two who looked like they couldn't decide whether to run or attack the officers.

Judy looked conflicted at his actions, and then slightly nauseous as a small pool of blood slowly gathered and trickled down the road in a thin line. The cheetah yelled and grabbing his arm, attempted to make a run for it before another loud bang stopped him.

"Move" Nick warned "And I won't miss"

He felt as angry as he looked his paw dangerously close to the trigger of his gun. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Judy reluctantly pull out her firearm and unlatch the safety lock. She pointed it towards one of the other two cheetahs with one arm, a stoic look coming over her face "Get on your knees, hands above your head"

The other two exchanged look with each other slowly.

"You scared of a bunch of cops?" the 'foreman' screamed, holding his bleeding arm "There's two of you and two of them, for fuck's sake. You can take 'em"

"On your knees" Judy repeated, her voice unwavering "Or I shoot. Your call"

Her eyes searched their clothed forms for small protrusions that could indicate a hidden weapon though she doubted they would not have pulled any weapons they had.

The air was tense as the two cheetahs stood still, disobeying the command. It almost seemed as if they were waiting for something. Judy felt a queasy feeling take hold of her, and her fur stand up. Anticipation crackled through her like an electric shock. Then it happened.

A spotted black and yellow blur crashed into Nick and instinctively she turned unintentionally elbowing her own attacker. The attack stung; he was larger than she had anticipated but he fell back just as she had planned. She hit him across the side with the butt of her gun and was rewarded with a loud grunt of pain as he fell down. She looked around her, assessing the situation.

Nick was fighting off another large cheetah, and his gun lay a few feet from him. Four large curved cuts had his shirt in shreds, and his teeth were bared in a growl that made desire pool inside her.

Judy pushed the feeling of pleasure aside, trying to concentrate on the situation at hand.

She looked frantically around for the three mammals they were dealing with before. The foreman was still lying on the floor, swearing in pain and trying to get up while the other two were now hurriedly loading the remaining crates into the pick-up.

She tucked the gun into its holster, and made for the truck. A large paw grabbed her ankle and pulled at it, and Judy found her face getting close and personal with the dirt floor.

A large body enclosed her smaller one and pulled her into a head lock, choking the air out of her. Her head began to swim violently and she desperately clawed at the meaty arms at her neck. Through all the chaos in her head, she heard the rev of the engine and realized that someone was starting the truck.

Her eyes began to water as the space between her neck and the spotted arms got smaller and smaller. As she thrashed anxiously, a glint caught her attention as the rays of the sun bounced off a metal surface and suddenly she remembered Nick's gun. Her paws went to her out gun and she pulled it out like a lifesaver (at that moment it was close enough to one) and hit the attacker over the head. His grip loosened considerably and she took that advantage to fire at the truck.

Her shot was aimless and the first bullet merely dented the tailgate but the second hit the tyre just as she had intended. The rubber burst with a large bang and a foul smell and the truck began to swerve dangerously on the dusty unpaved road. Judy had never been so happy to see an accident in her life when it finally crashed into a gnarled old tree.

She stumbled forwards, and turned her head to check up on Nick. A cheetah lay close to where he was nursing his cheek, out cold. Nick grinned up at her, despite the pain.

"This was eventful" he remarked, before being interrupted by a very loud curse from the 'foreman' they had both forgotten. Judy wondered why he reminded her of a basketball coach.

She nodded nearly breathless, the adrenaline still coursing through her while Nick radioed HQ.

This had certainly been eventful.

-End of Flashback-

Judy had spoken minimally to him after they had gotten back up in clearing out the scene and the five cheetahs arrested and it had him bothered, coupled with the fact that he had almost lost her today. Again.

Part of him wondered if it was because he had shot that cheetah though he felt no regret for that. He was ready to do anything if it meant keeping her safe. But if that was the reason, she would have told him. No, maybe it was something else. But what could it be?

He scratched his cheek before downing his shot, the blue liquid going down his throat like a rushing flood of fire.

Nick pulled at the hem of his shirt irritably. The bar had become so hot he didn't know why the air conditioning system in the corner had not been gotten rid of. He already had two buttons loose, and he didn't feel like stripping in front of the crowd around him,

It was mating season after all. That was like asking to get raped.

He looked at his glass mournfully, itching to lose himself in the sweet yet burning concoction again. But already his head was beginning to pound and he had work tomorrow. He imagined listening to Bogo with a massive hangover the size of the Tundra district, and cringed.

He licked his lips and set the tumbler on the table, before shakily standing up. As he exited the bar, with DNA by Kendrick Llama trailing him, he was struck with the thought that he had forgotten something very important.

Something that someone had given him… Judy? No, perhaps Finnick? ...

No it was a doctor, Dr Rosemary then?

Hmm, possible.

She had given him something… pills… but what for?

Nick cut off the train of thought. It could wait until tomorrow.

{|}

Judy moaned in pleasure as she slipped two of her digits inside her, wet with need. Since the adrenaline from the afternoon had worn off, all she could think about was Nick; his smile, his dizzying musk and how much she wanted his length inside her.

She tried to pretend it was his paw that rubbed against her sex and his fingers that slowly began to move inside her, in a slow rhythm that had her breathing heavily. Her other paw went up to her chest, and two digits tweaked her left nipple harshly. She imagined it was Nick that had her trembling in bliss, his voice in her ear.

"You're so wet, Judy…"

Her hand massaged her breast in circling motions, and she increased her pace, her digits relentlessly moving in and out of her. "Nick…" she sighed, rubbing her paw over her breast and flicking her nipple.

The bath water was warm, enhancing her illusion, and it was easy to think that Nick was behind her, fingering her in anticipation of something else.

Something positively… delectable, something much more fulfilling.

She began humping her digits, and added another, trying to fill herself. In her mind, it was Nick who was making her moan with every motion, his thumb rubbing down her sex while his other digits moved in and out of her deliciously.

Her mind went blank as she came with a silent scream and a mental image of Nick smirking down at her, watching with a jade stare that had 'desire' written all over it.

The bath water sloshed noisily as she fell back, feeling her cravings decrease just a little bit. She sighed; a masturbation session just wouldn't cut it this time.

The faint tone of Gazelle's Try Everything caught her ears, and she deliberated soaking for a few more minutes or answering the door immediately. After a few seconds of hesitation, she climbed out of the balmy water, water droplets rolling over her fur and falling to the floor. Grabbing a nearby bathrobe, she slipped into it snugly and shook herself dry before going to answer the door.

As soon as she opened to the door, she was hit by the scent of a male in heat, and not just any male but the male she had been craving all day.

"Nick?" She ventured to ask, not even noticing her voice had gone hoarse. He looked up at her with heavy lidded eyes clouded with desire and Judy felt herself go wet, ready for him to take her.

Without a second thought, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, throwing restraint into a deep abyss it could never hope to climb out of.

(|)  
So, I'm back, and I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. Feel free to get out you pitchforks

-Ite


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Drunken Lust

He tasted of alcohol and something sweet, responding to the kiss with a vigour that gave his arousal away, licking at her lips and pushing his tongue into her mouth to coax hers out to play.

Judy was surprised to be sure, but that surprise gave way to a furious blaze of desire that trailed over her body in sensual waves. Nick wasn't just kissing her back but his paws were roaming her nearly exposed body, disappearing under the flimsy bathrobe to palm her, caress her soft curves almost hesitantly and make her fur crackle with restrained sexual tension.

She heard the soft click of the door as it closed but she wasn't sure which of them had shut it.

"Nick…" Her voice came out in a soft pant, a somewhat sultry tone that she didn't know she was capable of making and when Nick paused, those striking green eyes resting on her face, Judy forgot what she was going to say.

Mating season was just a fancy term for having uninhibited sex, a period where logic and reasoning was cast aside for the pleasures of the flesh, where hormones took full swing of most mammals' lives.

Every mating season Judy had undergone was like that – wham, bam and thank you ma'am – a flurry of primitive and wild sex, sort of a kind of mutual relief for both parties.

She detached her heart from the sex itself, and she always pushed down the post-coital loneliness that came after she was spent and tired.

Looking at Nick now, she slowly came to the realization that right now, with him she did not want a meaningless romp just to alleviate her horniness, an affair that would pass once mating season did.

She didn't want just Nick in the sexual sense, she wanted to be with Nick.

A startled look passed through her eyes at the realization and it was this emotion that suddenly cleared the slight light headedness in Nick's head.

He had no idea why she had pulled away in the middle of their intense make out session, but the seconds passed, a sort of doubt settled at the bottom of Nick's mind, the uncertainty of whether Judy actually wanted this, him kissing her, touching her, mating with him.

The looked of shocked comprehension that passed through her eyes turned that doubt to self loathe, disappointment and hurt.

What had he expected, that she would just fall into his arms?

He swallowed a bitter pill of disillusionment and he admitted it to himself; yes, that was just what he had hoped for, and the feeling that she didn't feel even a sliver of attraction to him was… painful, in the sort of way that one would feel in the face of rejection.

The fog of both alcohol and lust cleared a little in his mind and slowly he retracted his paws from the soft cotton-like material she had on her, only just recognizing it as her bathrobe.

"Nick" Judy breathed again, her usually articulate mind devoid of words. She felt tingly all over, still winded from his kiss.

"I'm sorry" Nick's voice was quiet, almost a whisper and Judy registered the cool disappointment that lumped in her throat as his paws left her hips.

-What?

"T-this was a mistake. I don't even know what I was thinking" Nick wasn't looking her in the eyes anymore, and his admission made her knees tremble though not in the good way.

Judy stared at him – what did he mean by that? How could he come into her apartment, kiss her breathless and then tell her it was a mistake?

"I wasn't trying to, you know, take advantage of you or anything like that Fluff. I would never" He met her gaze now, those eyes that had been regarding her with lust minutes ago now apologetic, yet determined "I'm attracted to you. I guess I came here thinking that maybe you were… that you felt something like that too"

He gave a wry sad smile and the first thought that crossed her mind was that of relief.

She moved closer and tipped her head up so their muzzles met and brushed "You dumb fox, you had me scared for a moment"

Now that they were closer once again, Judy could scent that delightful scent on him; a male in rut and Nick's sugary musk of strawberries that came from those red popsicles he and Finnick liked to snack on.

She nuzzled into him, her core aching with the need to be filled and now that she was sure Nick wanted her as much as she wanted him, her decadent side was back, whispering into her mind all the dirty things she could do to and with Nick right now.

She felt herself go wet and she leaned even closer to Nick. From the way he suddenly stiffened, she was sure he could smell her arousal, wafting through the air, a sure sign she was on the verge of full blown heat.

"I want you Nick…" Judy's voice was husky with need and her hand rubbed warm patterns on his chest "…inside me, fucking me"

They made eye contact and the emotions sparkling in her luminous eyes – need, desire, longing – trampled the doubt inside him, sending blood southwards.

"Judy, are you sure you want this?" He really hoped the answer was yes, hoped she wouldn't change her mind. Somewhere in his mind, doubt still tried to make a comeback but it was forgotten as Judy's nimble fingers went to work on his shirt, and in her lust addled mind, she almost didn't recognize he had called her by her name, her real name.

All she wanted right now was to touch his flesh, feel it under her paw and tongue.

She hadn't replied him and while Nick would like to say he had stopped her right there, he hadn't.

He had wanted this for so long, wanted to feel her like this in his arms that for that moment, all his protests were forgotten.

Judy's paws pushed his shirt off his shoulders and for a second, she stopped her exploration to just stare at him, the lighting making his fur sparkle more than usual and Judy's one coherent thought was that she had never seen him more beautiful.

Then Nick's paws were at her bathrobe, untying the loose sash and pushing it off her shoulders till it pooled at her feet, forgotten by both parties.

1Nick's breath hitched as the robe fell off, revealing perky breasts that swayed with the erratic breaths Judy took, Nick's gaze making her feel warm all over.

A second later, he sank to his knees, startling Judy when he grabbed her by the waist.

"Wha-" she began but that was as far as she got, suddenly gasping as Nick nuzzled her entrance. His tongue began to stroke her lower lips teasingly and Judy shuddered from the foreign yet entirely pleasant sensation that wracked her body.

No one had ever tongued her, and although she had heard of the act she had never expected it would be this pleasurable.

She made a strangled noise as Nick's finger joined his tongue, moving in and out of her mercilessly while he lapped her juices up at the same time. Combined, the sensations were sinful and Judy's knees wobbled, threatening to give up on her.

Soon a second finger joined in, thrusting inside her in sync with the first, while Nick looked up at her, a devilish glint in his eyes.

"N…" she tried to say his name but all that came out was a winded moan and a splutter of meaningless words that signaled Judy was close.

Her body quaked slightly and seeing her all undone like this gave Nick a strange sense of accomplishment.

Seeing her like this, trying to say his name and fail, was doing things to his erection, making it painfully hard but he ignored it for the time being.

Something hot and heavy was uncoiling itself in Judy's belly, like a stick of dynamite about to go off.

It was like a white light exploded behind her eyelids as she came violently and shakily, her breath coming in little puffs of air.

Her body was boneless as her knees failed her and she sank into Nick, her head against his shoulder.

"I like seeing you like this Judy" Nick whispered into her fur and nipped the junction between her neck and shoulders "Hot and ready for me"

Sensitive from her orgasm, Judy sighed appreciatively, her paws resting on his thighs.

"Fuck" she breathed as his paws came to rest on her breasts and after a second he took her right nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pulling gently "do that again"

Vaguely, Judy was aware of being lifted in strong arms – Nick's arms – but she was too deep in post orgasm bliss to care.

Nick easily found the way to Judy's room, knowing the way from all the nights she had passed out to the TV blaring during their Friday movie nights.

He didn't know where this self-control had come from, how he had not yet rutted into her when she called out to him, when she had come from his tongue and fingers alone.

He didn't know how he held back when she blinked those brilliantly violet eyes at him as he laid her on the bed. Her paw rubbed against his chest in a tender caress, and then she slid it downwards, moaning in frustration when she was blocked from his member by the coarse material of his jeans.

"I want to feel you" Judy groaned, meeting his eyes while simultaneously palming him through his jeans "Nick I want you inside me"

Something primal was trying to push its way out of Nick. Filling his head with thoughts of debauchery as he watched her groan again, her other paw going downwards before her digits entered her warm entrance with a wet squelch.

"Please Nick, fuck me" she purred breathlessly as the hand she was using to palm him increased its pace.

Nick thought this was one of the hottest sights he had ever had the pleasure of seeing as he slowly took off his jeans and boxers then joined her on the bed.

Judy felt the edge of the bed dip but her furiously working fingers distracted her before she could dwell more on it.

Suddenly she flipped over, her back pressed into the soft foam of her mattress and Nick's muscular, lithe body above her. His fingers slid to where hers had been only seconds before, and his heated gaze grew even more intense as his finger stroked her once before reappearing before them.

Their heads were close, almost pressed together as Nick pressed that same finger to her muzzle "You're ready to take me, aren't you?"

Judy nodded.

The next moment, something thick pressed against her entrance and Judy barely had the time to gasp before Nick shoved his member into her; hard and fast.

Her body jerked at the feeling of fullness – total and absolute fullness – as they joined in one of the oldest ways known to mammals.

Nick let out a slow, unsteady exhale, his body trembling slightly "God, you're tight Judy"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and Nick could feel her little warm puffs of breath against his face.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly and Judy shook her head.

He began to move in slow languid thrusts that helped Judy adjust to his size. Nick knew he was big – for a mammal his size anyway – but by the end of the night, he planned to have Judy screaming in ecstasy.

As he moved in and out of her, increasing his pace slightly, he made sure to pepper her shoulders and breast with soft kisses, nipping in some places and licking in others.

Slowly, Judy's grip on his shoulders loosened and she let out a low involuntary moan, her eyes closed tightly.

"Open your eyes Judy, look at me" Nick's voice was husky, tight and Judy found herself obeying without a second thought.

A light sheen of sweat covered his brow but apart from that, there were no other signs of exertion. Nick was staring down at her, with a look she couldn't quite place.

He leaned down, increasing his pace as they exchanged a wet sloppy kiss. Slowly, his control was slipping, and thoughts of his release clouded his mind as he nearly pulled out and then slammed back into Judy with lustful hunger.

Little whimpers and cries escaped Judy as Nick savagely pounded into her, his expressive eyes now turned to slits in both pleasure and concentration. Her body was literally buzzing, and the room was filled with the wet slapping sounds of love making.

Her paws left his shoulders to grip the sheets of her bed as Nick paused for a second to lift her lower half and impale her harshly on his member.

The sensation of him going even deeper hit her like a highway accident and she arched off the bed, howling loudly.

That encouraged Nick to fuck her even harder, as he held her waist in a vice grip, moving her in time with his thrusts.

Her whimpers turned into animated, dirty screams "There Nick, right there, fuck me hard, I want you to fuck me till I'm sore, yes!"

Judy was breathlessly sobbing now, as her paws scrambled around on the bed for something to hold on to "Shit yes, there, right there, fuck me there"

Her orgasm was approaching quickly and Nick could sense it through the increasingly dirty talk and Judy clenching around his member like a tweezer.

He grew even rougher, angling her body slightly before smashing into her again. Judy screamed in the middle of another "Fuck", twisting on the bed. Her legs circled his back and pushed him closer as her orgasm hit her, pearlescent liquid squirting out of her as she dissolved into the bed with a sigh.

Her hands fell from where they had been scratching his sides and she looked the model picture of decadence, her breasts jiggling seductively as Nick gave a few hard final thrusts before he too was coming, silencing the yell of his release by nipping at her shoulder.

Wave after wave of warm liquid filled Judy and she groaned contentedly.

At her rim, the base of Nick's member began growing, filling centimetre by centimetre as he knotted her and if she had thought his member was thick then his knot was huge.

Soft little pants filled the air as the knot grew to its full size, stretching her hole almost painfully. As it grew, Nick's cum kept filling her non-stop, and he groaned into the fur of her collarbone as he finally emptied himself into her.

His knot had grown to full size but that meant they would be stuck together for the next ten to twenty minutes. Judy sighed but it was the sigh of someone who had been thoroughly and exhaustively fucked.

"That was amazing" she mouthed quietly as post coital bliss washed over her, and Nick chuckled, her fur muffling the sound "I don't think I'm going to be able to walk"

Making sure his larger frame would not press into her, Nick flipped them over so she was laying on top of him, and pushing his knot deeper into her.

"Nick!" Judy yelled. The sound was playful and happy and Nick smiled, mirroring her small grin.

"Hmm?" the ex con artist replied, feigning innocence. His paw traced its way down the curve of the belly, straight to her engorged entrance, filled with him.

Just as Judy was about to say something, he pressed the small nub above her sex and she forgot everything,

Judy gasped raggedly and Nick reached up to kiss her, pressing his tongue heatedly against her.

"Dumb fox" she rasped as he pulled away, giving her a sly grin that promised many things.

I know a lot of you are pissed off about me going AWOL, and you have every right to be. Sincerely, I'm sorry for leaving you hanging; I had four major exams (lasted four months in total), graduated from high school and other stuff However now that I'm back, Mirror Change will more or less get frequent updates. Promise. Thanks for all the support you guys have shown this fan fic, love y'all.

Read and review please, this is my first smut scene and I want to know if I did a good job. Arigatou!

-Ite


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Family Harvest

Judy would never have woken up that morning if not for her phone's incessant ringing. Her body was positively sore, with aches in places she blushed to think about now that her heat had momentarily subsided.

Next to her, Nick was still asleep, his paw possessively resting on her thigh. Judy felt a fond smile creep up her face as she stared at him but the moment was broken as Try Everything began playing again.

She groaned, she had never been this close to hating her phone as she was right now. Muttering under her breath, she picked the noisy device and after a second of staring at the screen, she froze.

Grinning happily from the device were Bonnie and Stu and while Gazelle sang, their time frozen picture buzzed, and the customary green and red buttons displayed themselves.

Her parents were video calling her, and in some distant part of her mind, Judy suddenly realized that in between getting shot by Jackson, transforming into a vixen, resuming work and having sex with Nick, she had forgotten to tell her parents what had happened in her life the past one and half month.

Shit.

Her phone was still ringing, demanding to be answered but witty, clever Judy's mind was undoubtedly blank.

She couldn't answer the phone like this; her dad would have a heart attack before she even got down to explaining what had happened.

But then again, she couldn't not just not answer her phone. They would call again and again and again till they were so worried they would catch the next train to Zootopia without fail.

What to do, what to do…

Behind her, Nick draped his body over her smaller frame and buried his face into her fur "I'll never get why you like this song so much" he murmured sleepily.

An old worn lightbulb appeared over her head, flickering furiously and without thinking, she shoved the phone into Nick's paws and clambered off the bed hurriedly.

"Answer it" she said in response to Nick's confused stare "It's my parents, now answer it"

Quickly she padded off into the bathroom to hide and once she was behind its door, she made an impatient gesture to Nick.

Looking away from her with an amused grin, Nick moved the green icon upwards.

Immediately, a blurry image of Bonnie and Stu came on screen, then sharpened.

Bonnie was in the middle of waving when she suddenly stopped, noticing that it was not their upbeat, determined daughter that was on screen but her partner (in the professional sense of course! Bonnie had no reason to think otherwise).

"Nick?" Bonnie asked with a smile that Nick returned "How are you?"

Before Nick could reply, Stu interrupted, trying to look around with mild suspicion "Where's Judy?"

"Uhhhh" Nick blinked at the screen then he blinked again "She's not here right now"

He could have face palmed with how lame the excuse was.

Bonnie's smile did not falter although she quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow up "Okay, where is she?"

"Out"

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

In the background, there was a childish squeal and something furry and grey zoomed past Judy's parents just before a loud wail filled the room.

Bonnie sighed and turned away "Laura!"

The bunny crying just yelled louder, and both Stu and Bonnie sighed at the same time.

"We have to go now Stu" Bonnie said apologetically, "When Judy gets back, tell her we called to remind her about the family harvest this Saturday"

"Family harvest?"

"Yes" Stu affirmed enthusiastically "We all get together and work on the farm then relax. It's like family bonding but on the farm"

The child in the background wailed louder.

"Tell Judy she can't miss it!" Bonnie said hurriedly "If she's not here by Friday, we'll be in Zootopia ourselves to drag her out"

"Will do" Nick agreed. The phone reverted to its normal background, signaling the end of the video call and Nick flopped unto the bed.

"You can come out now" he called out.

Judy peeked out of the bathroom, resting a paw on her forehead "This is bad Nick, this is very bad"

"What is?"

She was clearly distressed but Nick couldn't think of anything she had to be worried about.

Was it the family harvest? All her parents had said was that she had to show up.

"Oh" the sound escaped him in a moment of realization.

She had to show up.

"What am I going to do?" The light atmosphere that had dominated the morning was gone, replaced by a heavy tension that came with Bonnie and Stu's call.

Nick opened his arms invitingly and like a moth to a flame, Judy gravitated towards him, settling her body in between his legs.

"You're not going to like this Fluff," he began, "but I think it's time you told them what happened"

"No!" the sound came out so suddenly even Judy was surprised "I can't tell them. What are they going to think?"

"That it wasn't your fault" Nick assured, taking her paw "They're going to know that you didn't mean for this to happen. They'll understand"

Judy shook her head, squeezing Nick's paw in hers.

She wanted to tell him she was afraid, very afraid of what would happen when and if they saw her.

What if they rejected her?

She had siblings years younger than her, siblings far quicker to fear a predator than realize they were harmless.

Judy didn't know what she would do if any of them ran away from her or screamed when she'd try to hug them.

"What if…" her voice faltered, and she tried to speak again.

"What if they fear me?"

The question threw Nick off balance with how sudden it was, and he stumbled for the right words to answer her with.

"Fluff…"

It was a very real possibility.

Equality between predator and prey might have been feasible in Zootopia but outside of it, was still a work in progress.

Bunnyburrow was one of the more advanced towns but even there, this inequality found a way to thrive.

Her fears were very real, and Nick found it left a bitter taste in his mouth; the possibility of her family rejecting her.

As expected during mating season, the level of crime in the precinct was extremely slow and Chief Bogo didn't know whether to be grateful or annoyed for it.

On one hand, since a good number of the officers were taking a few days off, it was a good thing that even criminals seemed to be on the low.

On the other hand, it meant the days were as boring as could be.

It was both an enemy and an ally.

The only people mating season seemed not to affect were the nosy reporters who were hell bent on uncovering the truth behind Judy's less frequent public appearances.

Bogo didn't know who had started the rumours but they had been gaining ground recently, leading to less than subtle clamours for Judy to make a public announcement herself. Quite frankly, he didn't know what to do about it.

In his pocket, his phone buzzed, shocking him out of his thought process.

Grumbling, he fished it out, struggling a few times to pick the call. His large hoof kept slipping by the tiny green icon.

"Chief Bogo, speaking"

"Hey Chief"

"Wilde" Bogo paused, then a small grin shaped his weathered face "I assume you're calling to request an extended leave?"

"Y-yeah" Nick sounded flustered and sheepish as he admitted it "And for Judy as well"

"Mm-hmm" Bogo replied, enjoying putting Nick on the spot. It was not frequent that the fox was so uncollected, so he was going to enjoy this while he could "You and Officer Hopps will be spending the season together then?"

Bogo could literally feel Nick bristle as he asked the question.

"That's none of your business"

The Chief let out a gruff chuckle "Well, just get the necessary paperwork done with Clawhauser. It will be good for Judy to take a break right now"

"Paparazzi still loitering around?"

"Yes" Bogo said tiredly "And they've gotten more aggressive. Try and keep her away from Zootopia for a while"

"Will do Chief"

The line went dead and Bogo placed his phone on the table.

So, Judy and Nick huh?

He couldn't say he hadn't seen it coming, but still, what a pair.

They were good for each other.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: An Unpleasant Surprise

Sensing her reluctance to go for the family harvest, Nick had left Judy to her own devices, purchasing their train tickets himself, and had generally been in charge of arranging their trip while Judy tried to worm her way out of attending the family event, going as far as to try to get her and Nick reassigned to the mission they had been investigating before a second gunshot was attempted on her.

The hope she'd held crumbled when Chief Bogo firmly refused; the news about angry clamourings for her to make a public appearance were far more serious than the TV stations had presented it to be and there had even been a threat sent to the precinct, promising a large protest if the police were not forthcoming with information about Judy.

If her fox form was eventually sighted and confirmed, all hell would break loose. Judy was seen as the hero of Zootopia and the icon of prey in every district of it. Like a crucial pillar in the foundation of a building, if she stumbled, chaos would follow.

It would be an understatement to say this news devastated Judy. It settled within her like a poisonous fog, and that feeling gripped her again, the feeling of being helpless in a crisis, the feeling of having failed.

The room felt suffocating after her phone call to Bogo and she decided to go for a walk, wanting to clear her head.

It was not often that Judy had free time, and as she slowly navigated the streets, she realized she had been a lot less productive after what happened with Jackson.

Things had already been problematic when she had been turned without any warning and doctors couldn't find out exactly what had happened but when Jackson had killed himself that was when they had truly hit a dead end. In this messed up situation, he had been the beginning and end, the only clue to what was really happening.

It was all so confusing, and annoying not knowing what was happening, who was pulling the strings in this situation and what exactly their plan was. She sighed and rubbed her face tiredly, the way one would do when they were exhausted mentally and emotionally.

She had also been more dependent on Nick lately, more than she cared to admit, and although she knew he would do anything for her, and he understood her situation she felt guilty for burdening him with her problems.

As she took a turn, a drawn pensive look on her face, she was faced with a bakery she had passed many times on her way to work but never really bothered to patronize.

Her stomach suddenly felt empty and she remembered she hadn't eaten that morning. Starting the day with dessert was not the brightest idea she'd ever had but the longer she started, the more tempted she was. Starving herself wasn't magically going to make her problems disappear anyway.

She pushed open the old fashioned door, momentarily smiling as bell tinkled over her head. The café was mostly empty, with only a well-dressed sheep noisily slurping a milkshake in the corner. Judy ordered a carrot cake, before going to seat over in the corner as well.

She didn't care for the noises he made while eating but the view from the window seat was beautiful, even if she'd have to endure noisy eating in front of her.

The waitress – a bouncy rabbit - brought over her cake, with a dimpled smile on her face as she placed it on Judy's table, as well as a medium sized can of soda.

"This is my favourite" she grinned as Judy looked on, smiling wryly in nostalgia at the long ears and boxy teeth.

"It's mine too" she grinned back, before thanking her and leaning forward to begin her meal.

She dug in expectantly, her sad mood lifted for the moment. Really, who would eat their favourite food and still be sad?

Behind her, the sheep paused his noisy eating only because his phone began to ring shrilly, booming in the nearly empty café.

"Hello?" he answered with a full mouth, then swallowed, unconsciously sitting straighter "Yes boss, I'm still here. I'll leave when Mike comes over for his shift"

"She didn't come out today too" he continued, "but the fox's been going over a lot lately" A long pause "Yeah, okay"

Judy had been listening to the conversation halfheartedly so she was surprised when the sheep turned over to talk to her, a toothy smile in place.

"Hey"

She looked at him surprised, then gave a small wary smile. There was something about him that didn't sit well with her.

"Hi" she replied, swallowing before speaking.

"You live there right?" he asked and pointed at the window their seats jointly shared. Judy was a bit surprised to see it offered a bird's eye view of the apartment complex she had moved into.

"How do you know that?" she asked, suspicion lacing her tone. The sheep gave an easy smile that told her he was going to talk his way out of her question.

"I've seen you go in a few times, I live around here too" he replied, lying easily "Do you know Judy? She lives there too"

Judy was instantly on the alert; she could recognize he was trying to probe her without looking too suspicious, not knowing she was who he was looking for.

"Judy Hopps?" she asked, feigning ignorance "She's my neighbor, why do you ask?"

"I haven't seen her in a while, so I was worried" the sheep replied, frowning a little. At Judy's dubious glance, he added "We're jogging buddies, you know she jogs right? We usually meet but she hasn't come out for a while now. I miss her black number zooming past me"

Dumbfounded was too much of an understatement for what Judy was feeling at the moment. She did jog, and she usually did so in a black jumpsuit that would never fit her now but how would _he_ know?

She had never met him before, and she had no jogging partners – although she had once tried to recruit Nick in vain – so why was he claiming he knew her?

"I'm sorry about that" she said in a sympathetic voice, picking at the remnants of her cake "But I haven't seen Judy for a while too. But if you really need to see her, I could ask her partner Nick"

"The fox?" The sheep scratched at his ear "I don't know…"

"I can tell you really care, you really look like you miss her" Judy pushed, earning her a big smile from the sheep. And it was true. If she was really a neighbor, she would have been convinced by his near perfect reactions "I won't tell Nick someone else's asking, just me"

"But how would you contact me?" he asked, getting excited at the prospect of knowing more about Judy "I would love to hear news about her"

 _I'm sure you would._

"Just give me your number" Judy shook her napkin clean, giving it to him "I'll get back to you once I have news"

"Thank you," he smiled, fishing in his pockets for a pen hastily. When he found one, he took the napkin from her paws, scribbling messily on it "Thank you so much"

As Judy watched him return to his food, happily slurping again, she found her appetite was gone. Someone was after her, rich enough to hire mammals to watch her for months, meticulous enough to record her habits, and patient enough to wait until she reappeared.

Goosebumps rose on her fur, despite the warm sunlight that kissed her skin as she exited the bakery after leaving a tip for the waitress.

She was being targeted, and she had no idea who was after her. The thought was terrifying.

Yes, you saw right guys, this is a double update! I'm really sorry with how I've been neglecting this book but I will try to update more frequently. No promises though, college is a real bitch. Don't forget to read and review!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Uncertain

Nick was quickly learning that heat made Judy quite the insatiable monster in bed.

Sex was like an unstoppable craving she could not curb, and even though they'd gone at it multiple times these past few days, she recovered swiftly, scarily so. Perhaps what scared him the most were the pheromones she gave off as the heat engulfed her. He could never think straight when he got a whiff of her scent then, like a drug that slowed down his thinking process.

He wasn't complaining though; it was fascinating watching her come loose before him, the bursts of aggressiveness when she nipped him, and the sighs of completion when he knotted her. There were a thousand and one things to love about Judy, and heat just made them show even more than usual.

One second he was trying to feed her some food, and the next he would be eating her out.

He'd known the minute he'd gotten in the apartment that Judy's heat was back, and in full force. He could never mistake the scent she gave off, like honey and sunshine, and already he could feel himself reacting to it, his slacks tightening.

Dropping the grocery bag on the couch as well as their train tickets, Nick made his way to Judy's bedroom, her scent becoming stronger the closer he went. She was lying on her back when he saw her, her fingers hard at work between her spread legs. Soft pants escaped her mouth as she fingered herself almost harshly, moving her index and ring finger at a rhythmic pace.

She was beautiful when she was like this, like a goddess of lust he would give anything to please. And in many ways, Judy was his goddess, the only one he would ever worship.

He removed his shirt slowly, watching her hips arch as she suddenly came, a sharp cry escaping her mouth. The soft material fluttered to the ground noiselessly, joined seconds later by his slacks.

On the bed, Judy gave a frustrated whisper under her breath, wiggling restlessly even though she'd just come "Not enough… it's not enough…"

She turned in a surprised way as the bed dipped at the edge, so concentrated on getting off that she hadn't noticed Nick come in. Or maybe she had, but subconsciously she had recognized his scent, sensing he was not a danger.

"Nick" she mouthed in relief, as he nuzzled her, giving her neck soft promising licks.

"I'm here Fluff" he whispered back, his paws groping her waist almost possessively. They exchanged messy kisses, slowly grinding against each other as soft moans filled the room.

Nick felt drugged inhaling her scent as they moved almost pornographically together, paws groping frantically in search of something to grab.

She was paradise, the beautiful wanton vixen beneath him sighing in pleasure as they joined, her tight heat making him give a stuttered groan. Her legs pulled him closer, urging him to make her his, and Nick did so with reckless abandon, with deep hard thrusts that had Judy seeing stars, her nails digging into his arms as if trying to cling to her last semblances of reason.

As he came, spilling inside her and muffling his cry of pleasure in her fur, Nick felt utterly grateful to have met her in the ice cream shop all those months ago, and just as quickly, a sinking feeling filled his gut; this wouldn't last forever.

"I think someone's stalking me" Judy said later as they cuddled together after a mutual shower, her head settled on Nick's chest "But I have no idea who it could be"

"What makes you think that, the recent threats sent to the ZPD?" Nick asked, tensing slightly when Judy didn't answer immediately.

"I met someone today" she replied at last, her voice low "He's been watching my apartment for some time now, worked out the trails I use when I jog, and has been waiting for me to leave apartment. Bunny me"

Nick sat up a little, looking at her with a surprised look on his face "What?"

"Yeah" Judy nodded, intertwining her paw with Nick's "We had a whole conversation of how we met up to jog, and became buddies in the process. He's very convincing"

"And you've never met him before" Nick added, not needing her to say the obvious "That's really extreme"

"What bothers me is how long he's been watching me. And judging from the phone call he had before he spoke to me, the mammals who watch my apartment are rotated so they don't miss a thing. It's actually terrifying, the lengths they're going to keep an eye on me"

Nick took a huge breath as she finished speaking. It was obvious something was bothering him from the look on his face.

"Jackson told me something before he died, and I really think it's related to this" he said at last, squeezing Judy's paws comfortingly, as if trying to prepare her for what he was about to say next "He said he was only a pawn working for someone else, and he wasn't the one who created the mutated Night Howler that changed you. I think he only shot you as a way to get back at you for whatever reason, but in this game he isn't the boss. The boss is who has been sending those threats to the precinct and spreading rumours about the Night Howler changing you"

"But we don't know who that is" Judy stated "And since our last mission was a bust, we have also no info on who commissioned those cheetahs, which means we have no leads"

She buried her face in his chest, groaning loudly "I didn't want to say it, but I'm really getting frustrated at how many dead ends we're meeting lately. I hate feeling helpless like this, like I can't do anything but watch on"

"You've done much more than 'watch on'" Nick refuted immediately "Don't sell yourself short. Besides, we have until after your family's harvest to figure this out"

Judy groaned again, although more quietly than the first time "We don't have to go, at least not now. I don't want them to see me like this"

"Judy—"

"This is what my parents were afraid of, why they didn't want me to be a police officer. They were afraid something bad would happen to me and I would get hurt"

Nick kept quiet as she spoke, letting her vent.

"When they first saw me as a meter maid, they were so happy because all I had to do was give tickets and watch out for traffic violations. I couldn't get hurt that way. But now, I doubt they would even be able to recognize me. I'm supposed to be the poster child of prey everywhere in Zootopia; Zootopia's hero. Do you think people are still going to be able to relate to me?"

"You're still the same Judy they know and love, even if you look different, it hasn't changed the things you've done and the obstacles you've overcome. Your family's going to be surprised, sure. But I doubt they're going to reject you, because in the end you're still you and no drug can change that" He pulled her in for a much needed hug and she sagged in his arms, releasing a deep breath.

"Thanks Nick"

She knew he was trying to comfort her, but dread filled her stomach at the prospect of meeting her parents.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Despair

As they stood in front of the door to her home, paws interlocked, Nick could feel Judy tremble slightly, although there was a façade of a smile on her face. She was scared, deeply scared and it saddened Nick knowing nothing would alleviate her fear of rejection until her parents saw her.

Inside, he was a bit scared too. He knew Bonnie and Stu well enough to see they loved their daughter very much, and he also knew them well enough to know of their extensive history with foxes. Although it was pretty much over now, and they were much friendlier with more than a few foxes in the country, he had no idea how they would react if they found out they were suddenly related to a fox.

In his mind, he likened it to the neutral side in the battle for or against interspecies marriage. There were some who 'tolerated' the idea a member of their family would marry outside their species and there were some who claimed they didn't just care – until someone they knew did. Then, they would react with extreme hate and phobia.

Nick fervently hoped this situation would not turn as ugly as that.

He reached out and rang the doorbell again, watching from the corner of his eye as Judy licked her lips nervously.

"You'll be alright Fluff" he whispered to her just as the doorbell swung open with a soft thud. Bonnie looked up at them, her cheeks flushed and a silly grin on her face while Stu peeked out from behind her, rubbing coloured lip gloss off his fur, equally looking embarrassed.

It didn't take a genius to guess what they had been doing. While mating season was almost over, they seemed to be one of those couples hit the worst towards the end and he could see that despite her nervousness, Judy blushed at her parents teenage like behaviour.

The embarrassment left Bonnie's face as she recognized Nick, replaced by a wide friendly grin, "Nick!"

She surged forward, enveloping him in a tight warm hug that Nick reciprocated, just with less choking. As she drew back, she saw Judy standing there awkwardly and their eyes locked.

For a few seconds, they just stared at each other before another big smile shaped Bonnie's lips before she went to hug Judy tightly as well, and for one heart stopping moment, Judy thought Bonnie had recognized her.

"Who is this? Your girlfriend?" Bonnie asked as they disengaged, directing her question to Nick. He did not have time to answer before she continued speaking, "She's so pretty! Although she does look familiar. Have me met before?"

Judy couldn't answer, as a painful feeling emerged in her belly, tightening as the seconds ticked. She knew what it was, as she'd had a lot of it these past few weeks: the feeling of despair running amok in her mind.

"You're right, she does look familiar" Stu chimed, coming closer "Like someone we know"

 _Mom, Dad, it's me, Judy! I'm Judy!_

Her parents didn't recognize her.

"Where's Judy?" Bonnie asked, looking behind Nick. An unhappy look overcame her face when she didn't see any tiny bunny behind him "She didn't come?"

Judy blinked back the tears that were beginning to gather in her eyes, "Can we come in?"

Bonnie and Stu looked startled at the sound of her voice, probably recognizing her voice but not her. Suddenly she felt bitter and resentful, wishing she had been the one to break Jackson's neck instead of Nick.

Her parents led their way into the house, Bonnie disappearing into the kitchen to get them some drinks while Stu went upstairs to deal with a sudden cry.

"Always playing rough" he muttered as he practically stomped his way up.

"What was it this time?" Bonnie asked as she set a tray of two fizzy drinks in front of her guests when Stu came downstairs, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Rose and Briar got into another fight" Stu complained and turned to his guests "You should see them at school, all quiet and meek. They don't even say a word when another kid makes fun of them!"

"But when they get home," Bonnie agreed "It's all fists and bites with those two"

"Sounds awful," Nick said.

Stu nodded mournfully "It is."

They both sat on a couch opposite Judy and Nick, and for a minute, an awkward silence reigned while Judy sipped her drink.

"There's something I need to talk to you about." Judy said, breaking the silence, her hands clasped on her lap. "And I need you to listen to me with an open mind."

"Is this about Judy?" Stu asked quietly "Did something bad happen to her?"

"Yes, on the first count." Judy answered just as quietly "As for the second, that's for you to decide."

Her parents visibly tensed.

She tried not to tremble as she recounted what had happened to her in the past several weeks, almost two months ago, only leaving out the details of her and Nick having sex. When she finished, Stu's eyes were wide and Bonnie had a hand over her mouth.

"J-Judy?" Bonnie asked, standing up slowly "I-Is that really you?"

The tears Judy had tried so valiantly to keep at bay were rolling down her cheeks and falling to the floor, "Mom."

Bonnie was crying now too as they hugged, and Nick shifted uncomfortably on his seat, feeling like an intruder watching in on them.

Suddenly there was a loud thud that abruptly broke up the moment; Stu had fainted.

After Stu's fainting spell, the multitude known as Judy's siblings had descended downstairs, attracted by the sound of Stu falling down, and making a hell of a racket as they came.

Luckily, Nick had offered to take them outside for the time being, all fifty six present so Stu could recover without children climbing all over him.

By the time the door closed behind them, Judy and Bonnie had managed to get Stu up into the bedroom her parents shared.

"This must have been quite the shock to him." Bonnie reasoned, as she tucked Stu into bed, "Your change and all that."

"I'm sorry" Judy sighed, taking her mom's paw "The doctors are trying everything they can to see how it can be reversed but they've not had a breakthrough yet. I don't know what will happen."

Bonnie squeezed her paw affectionately, "You're still my baby girl, no matter what has happened to you, and I still love you."

Those had been the words Judy had been waiting to hear all afternoon, and with a watery smile, she launched herself into her mom's arms. As Bonnie hugged her tight, another paw stroked her head hesitantly.

"Hey Judy," came her Dad's weak voice. Stu had woken up and was sitting, his hand still on her head "I would call you my little girl but you're not so little anymore."

Judy managed a choked laugh, burying her face in Bonnie's shoulder, "You know I'll always be little to you no matter what."

"Sorry for fainting."

Judy went to hug him as well, and Stu could feel her tears wet his shoulder.

"I was kind of expecting that" she said, "You're not the best at hiding your emotions Dad, like the time you cried when I first left."

There was a bit of silence before Judy asked, "You don't hate me, do you?"

Stu and Bonnie hugged her tighter "Of course not"

"This is just going to take a bit of getting used to" Stu added, rubbing her back.

Judy sighed in relief, and suddenly, spending the weekend with her parents didn't seem like such a bad idea. She was looking forward to having a good time, as much as she could get.

But in Zootopia, things were taking a turn for the worse.

Even when I've been such a prodigal author, you guys are still reading this story. *tearing up*

Well, I've a surprise for you guys, as a kind of thank you and at-least-have something-to read-while we-save humanity-by-staying-home, this is a four chapter update. Go spoil yourself! And please let me know what you think of what is happening in the story! Also, please take care of yourself, stay home, and regularly wash your hands with soap and water!

Don't forget to R&R!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: An Evil Surprise

Bogo entered the interrogation room like a man on death row, grim-faced and sullen. When he had gotten the news from Wolfe, he had rushed to the precinct as far as his car would go. If what he was hearing was true…

Inside was a tiny weasel whose height only came up to his waist, a crooked smug smile on his dirty face.

"Chief!" the mammal exclaimed as Bogo stepped in, closing the door behind him, "I'm so glad you came! I was beginning to think you would not show up. That would have been such a fine loss for you."

"Revere" Bogo took a seat opposite the mammal, "Why did you call me here? If you're thinking you can use me to get out of facing the electric chair, think again."

Revere shook his head, his grin still in place, "Oh, not you Chief. I would never think of sacrificing you like that. But, Officer Hopps, now that's a different story."

"What do you mean?"

"The police force here really is incompetent" Revere bemoaned, leaning into his seat "Have you not connected the dots in this case?"

Bogo kept silent.

Animatedly, Revere sprang up, pacing the room as he talked, "Did nobody think to investigate why I murdered tens of people and with no weapon? When Jackson heard the news, did nobody investigate why he must have killed himself, perhaps because he heard my name? Did nobody think to check up on the invisible son who had reappeared after several months, looking for his demented fool of a father? Did nobody know how much he feared me?"

Bogo got the feeling that all these was connected, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. It was like humming a song you knew, but couldn't remember the name to.

"What is your point Revere?"

Suddenly, the weasel sprang across the table, almost hitting Bogo and hissed "I know Judy Hopps was changed, most probably into the likeness of a fox, so only she will understand what I am saying. I won't talk until I have Hopps in front of me."

Bogo was suddenly on the alert "How do you know that?"

Revere did not answer but made a signal to show he had finished talking. The officer in charge of him entered the room, putting his handcuffs back on him. Just as they were leaving, he paused and turned to Bogo again with a cackle.

"Watch the news carefully Chief. Something big is gonna happen soon."

Bogo was stumped, as he watched him leave the building to be escorted back to jail. There was so much Revere could possibly have the answers to, and he needed Hopps in Zootopia to get them all. The weekend could not be over fast enough.

Nick was half asleep when he felt two warm paws splay across his chest, and a wet mouth kiss above the waistband of his pants. His body was sore from having to entertain Judy's siblings all afternoon who, no surprise there, were a handful to maintain and energetic as hell but it seemed his member didn't mind the attention, rising to half-mast.

"How did your talk go?" Nick asked, rising up half way to give her an open mouthed kiss. She smiled into the kiss, and automatically he knew it had gone well.

"So-so" she said, slipping a paw into his pants "They aren't repulsed by me."

"Who would? You give yourself too little credit."

She leaned down to kiss him again with a smile, her breasts rubbing against his clothed chest and he realized she was wearing nothing on her but a tiny thong that provided no resistance at all when he slipped it past her legs.

Judy nipped at his shoulder when he thrust into her, a little moan escaping with her. Sex with Nick was always so satisfying, both physically and emotionally.

This time their lovemaking was slow and lazy, paws exploring each other's bodies as they joined in one of the oldest ways known to mammals. As they came down from the high of horniness mating season was well known for, their coupling was more intimate, more about knowing each other's bodies than just having sex and Judy sighed blissfully when Nick took her nipple into his mouth, teasing her with slow licks and tiny bites that sent shudders of pleasure through her.

The buildup to her orgasm was gradual but when it came, it exploded through her, a wanton low cry escaping her before she caught herself, "Oh my God."

Nick's chuckle was breathless but cheeky as the heat of his release filled her, "I would prefer if you called me by name Fluff, but that will do."

She buried her face in his warm chest, not out of embarrassment at his words but to stop herself from uttering the words she was so close to spilling.

 _I love you_.

Bonnie plopped down beside her daughter, handing her a water bottle which Judy accepted with a gratefully murmured 'thanks'.

"Life away from home has made you lazy," Bonnie teased, "You were only able to bring in a few hundred carrots today, soon the others will be able to beat your record."

"They can have it," Judy said good-naturedly, "I'd forgotten how grueling it was to harvest carrots under the sun. And it's so hot today too."

Rabbits covered the fields as far as the eye could see. She and Nick were the only odd ones out, and Judy internally smiled at the irony of it.

Judy's siblings had been told of her situation, and unlike how Judy had imagined they'd react, they were surprisingly unruffled about it all, more interested in pulling her tail, and mocking her shorter ears. The weekend had turned out relaxing, and what made it even better was the fact Nick was here with her. He made it even better than it was just with his presence. Her fears had been unfounded after all, and Judy could not say how relieved she was.

She smiled as she saw him in the distance, letting one of her sisters feed him from a basket of blueberries. She'd tasted them herself earlier and with how tasty this year's harvest was, there was no doubt he'd been begging for a basket to take back with him. Her smile grew.

"So," her mother said, breaking her out of her thoughts, "You and Nick huh?"

Judy turned to her in surprise, then embarrassment grew on her face, "It's that obvious?"

"You weren't exactly silent last night," Bonnie grinned at the look of mortification on her face, "But good sex will do that to you."

"Mom!"

"I will admit, it's a bit strange," Bonnie added, scratching her chin, "A bunny, and a fox. But he's a good guy. Not like the other jerks you spent mating season with."

Judy let out a giggle, "You never did like my seasonal partners, but thanks for the vote of confidence, and for not freaking out."

"When it comes to you, Judy, little can freak me out anymore." Bonnie said, smiling at her too. There was a brief silence between them, one that Bonnie broke.

"With the sounds you were making, I bet he's fantastic in bed too."

"Mom!"

Bet you're wondering who Revere is right? I briefly mentioned him a few chapters back where Jackson died. Get ready for a rollercoaster guys!  
R&R!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Bad News

The news reached Judy and Nick before their train made it back to Zootopia. Bellweather was dead, found hanging from the ceiling from a rope she'd made with her own clothes. It was even more of a shock to discover there was suspicion that it was not a suicide but murder.

Barely an hour after the news broke out, the Chief had contacted Judy, his tone dire and urgent.

"Come straight to the precinct once you're in the city Hopps. There's no time to waste."

Judy had a sinking suspicion that it was related to the sheep's death, and that once again, she was the centre of attention – for all the wrong reasons.

Bogo did not waste anytime once they arrived at the station, and surprisingly Dr. Rosemary was there as well. On the way to where Bogo revealed was a high class detention centre, he added that the mammal they were going to visit had requested – 'more like demanded' Bogo hissed under his breath – that a licensed doctor be present while they spoke to him.

In short clipped sentences, Bogo told them about Revere's weekend visit while the duo was out of town and the condition that he would only speak with them if Judy was present.

"Why me?" Judy asked, as they zoomed down the lonely highway, "What does he want with me?"

Bogo looked at her through the rearview mirror, "I want the answer to that question as badly as you do, Hopps."

There was a tense silence as Bogo slammed on the accelerator, as if deadly afraid of something chasing them and Judy was grateful when Nick took her paw, squeezing it reassuringly.

They arrived at last at a sprawling building of a detention centre, and at the gate, the guard let them pass when Bogo flashed his I.D card.

"This is where Revere is being kept?" Nick asked as they walked through a silent, creepy hallway, "It's fit for a king."

"He only has until next month before he dies. The court has ruled death by the electric chair for him and this is just to ensure that nothing untoward happens to him before that time. Tundratown's still seething from the damage he caused." Bogo explained, "We're here."

They had arrived at a large door, Bogo nodding at the guard standing by it who searched them and collected their phones, watches and all pieces of metal from them, even Rosemary's jewelry, only letting her go with her doctor's case. Even for that, he had demanded to see a license which Rosemary had fortunately brought with her.

Even still, Judy had a suspicion she may not have been allowed that if not for Bogo's presence.

Once he had made sure there was nothing more on them, he swiped a card through the small machine on the wall next to the door, it opened silently, a single light in the room automatically turning on and revealing the single occupant of the room.

Revere looked emaciated and sickly but as soon as he saw their small party, a broad smile overcame his unhealthy features. The door closed behind them, as if representing a sign of finality.

Revere was bound to the wall by both his legs, only being able to move about five metres away and Rosemary thoughtfully commented on it.

"All these precautions just for a weasel?" she asked curiously and Revere smiled at the question.

"Yes," he affirmed, "A weasel who murdered a little over 120 mammals with no accomplice nor a firearm." A small laugh, "I think I can be classified as dangerous."

It seemed he took pleasure in watching how her face paled and she looked away.

"Is Judy here?" he asked, and when he and Judy locked eyes, a very sad look came on his face, "Officer Hopps, you look good. How have you been?"

"I'm well, Revere, though I don't know why you would care."

He didn't respond to her and instead faced Bogo "I told you to watch the news. Bellweather is dead, isn't she?"

They all looked visibly surprised and Revere chuckled to himself "You all looked so shocked? Chief, I'm so hurt you didn't believe me."

"You never said Bellweather would die." Bogo said in a hard voice.

"Details, details," Revere waved Bogo's concerns away, "I did say something big would happen."

"Revere," Judy interrupted, looking straight at him, "Why did you want me here?"

"Because after Bellweather, I'm next. I'm not going to have to wait until next month for death to find me, and in a way, I'm glad for it. Saves me the trouble anyway."

"The trouble of what?" Nick asked, half angry that Revere wasn't going straight to the point.

"The trouble of killing myself." He expatiated, looking at Nick as if he were a slow learner, "But before I go into that, I need to show you something, so you can believe me."

He looked at Judy, "If I wanted to, I could be you."

In a second, Revere had gone from being a dirty mangled weasel to Judy Hopps, police officer extraordinaire. Judy felt a jolt of nostalgia wash over her as she stared at bunny her, the only difference being Revere's dull brown eyes, instead of her bright violet.

Resemary put a hand to her mouth and Bogo stumbled back, apparently stunned. Judy and Nick remained frozen in place, Nick running a hand over his shocked face.

"Or you" Revere's voice came out as Judy's, before he was suddenly Bogo, standing tall and imposing inside the large room.

"Oh my God." A stunned whisper escaped Rosemary's mouth.

"Or even Bellweather," and then the traitor sheep was looking at them, a smug look on her fluffy face, "The point is, I can be anybody I want to be, and very few people would be able to tell the difference."

He changed back to his normal self, "This is why I have called you here, Judy, to apologize for my father's action, and to warn you. When this alternate version of the Night Howler was being made, a test subject was inevitably needed. As you know, being in this business is kind of like a gang, and a member passes their membership to their children, whether they like it or not."

"I was part of those who didn't like it. I didn't want to be an illiterate whose only purpose in life was obeying my gang lord. I didn't want to commit crimes for a living. I wanted to go to college, and actually be someone important but in the eyes of my father, I was a rebel and when they needed a test subject, he threw me under the bus to gain his boss's favour. I was the only – forgive my language – guinea pig that survived the cruel tests they put us to. As such, my blood is the only thing that can change a mammal, or return them to normal."

Bombshells after bombshells were being dropped on them, and Bogo didn't know what to make of it. First, Bellweather's death and now this?

But Revere wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.

"How did you father come up with the idea of making an alternate Night Howler?" Nick asked, "It's not the most conventional method of revenge there is."

"He didn't." Revere said calmly, "Just as Bellweather didn't think up the original idea for the Night Howler as well."

"What?" Judy breathed.

"The gang lords call him Xavier. But I'm sure you know that's not his real name. Bellweather was frustrated, of course, at how much more privileged predators seemed to be more than prey but she was content to stew in it until he came along. He filled her head with ideas of a utopia where only prey lived and there was no more inequality between predator and prey, and he exploited her frustration until she agreed to carry out the Night Howler operation. She was loyal up to the point she took the blame for him. She fell for his words just like my father did."

"Jackson was angry that so much more illegal business seemed to be busted by the police or closing for fear of getting busted and Hopps was an easy target to lay all the blame on. Xavier was angry too about the ZPD's success, and my father was the perfect victim to use. He convinced him that Judy was the main problem, and filled his head with how much better everything would be if she was out of the picture until my father, just like Bellweather, was ready to commit a crime and take the blame for it. Xavier rarely featured, he was content to let other people live out his schemes and face the consequences of it."

Revere paused for a moment to look at all of them, "When I killed all those people, how I killed them, I can't even remember. That is the one weakness of the alternate Night Howler. You are lucky Judy, that it has been so short a time since you were shot or you would be facing the same problem. At first, the Night Howler only lets you get affected by the first mammal or reptile you come in contact with after getting shot but after a time, you begin to automatically absorb the DNA of every mammal you meet. This puts a strain on your body and overloaded by too much pressure, the body lashes out by sporadically transforming into a mammal you can't even control or choose."

"That is the stage I was in, when I arrived in Tundratown, after escaping from the lab I was locked in. I was looking for my father, and I stumbled across a party. Maybe it was the noise, or the stress I had gone through or something I may not be even aware of. I snapped and when I came to consciousness, I was surrounded by dead bodies and a river of blood. Now, I am in the stage where the burden of transforming is killing me like a terminal disease. It is a stage I do not want you to reach Judy, which is why I called for a doctor to come with you all here. There is a very real possibility I might die within the next few day, either from the Night Howler or because of Xavier."

"What does Xavier have to do with any of this?" Rosemary asked, fully immersed in the story, "Why is he after you?"

"Why else?" Revere asked, laughing mirthlessly, "Bellweather, Jackson and I were the only ones who knew his identity, and one by one, he is taking us out. Xavier is rich, but more than that, he has connections. His connections were what allowed him kill Bellweather in prison and they are what is going to let him dispose of me here. Money is the root of all evil afterall."

"Oh." Rosemary said after a second, at a loss "That is unfortunate."

"You are the doctor, aren't you?" Revere asked, pointing at her. At Rosemary's nod, he raised up his sleeve, "I hope you'll be able to find a vein, I haven't properly eaten in a few days now."

Rosemary looked at Bogo for permission, and when he waved, she walked over to Revere, opening her doctor's case.

"Please make a fist." When Revere did, Rosemary felt his arm for veins. He winced slightly when she stuck the needle in but then relaxed. As soon as she finished, he rolled his sleeve down, muttering a slight 'thanks'. Silently, he watched as Rosemary also drew blood from Judy, in case there had indeed been changes in her DNA as Revere had suggested.

"I want to talk to Judy alone." He announced when she was done. Nick was reluctant to leave Judy alone with a mammal he still perceived as a criminal but at the insistence of Bogo, he left the room with the Chief and Rosemary.

Judy spent a long time in there, and when she came out, her expression was ominous and bleak.

"He's going to die tonight." She said, when they were back in Bogo's car, "He said he could feel it when he was showing us his abilities. His body won't last past today."

Nick could see there was something else bothering her, and when she looked at him, he thought he saw a little fear in her eyes.

Dun dun dun!

What is going to happen now? Do you emphasize with Revere? Do you like him?

Let me know in your reviews!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: New Arrival

Indeed, news of Revere's death wafted into the precinct late the next day, but because Revere had not made as much of a public spectacle as Bellweather, to many his death was just another criminal death. The official report said he had died a natural death, and his organs had just stopped working a little after midnight.

After what he had heard yesterday, Nick supposed he should feel sorry for the pitiful way he had died but other pressing matters occupied his mind, the most important being that Judy was not talking to him.

When they'd gotten back the previous day, she had been unusually quiet, and for the first time in many weeks, they had not gone to bed together. Judy had insisted she was tired, and just needed some rest but Nick could clearly see something was bothering her, and he guessed it had to do with whatever Revere had told her the day before.

Even now, as they sat in Bogo's office, waiting for the Chief as he'd claimed there was something important he had to tell them, she was distant from him, no matter how close they were physically. He could see it in the way she did not speak to him at all or even glance his way. To say he was worried was an understatement.

The door opened and Bogo stood, commanding even when still, but as he glanced at them, there was something in his expression that had the duo guarded immediately, "I see you both are already here, allow me to introduce someone to you…"

From behind him, popped out a small hare who was smiling exuberantly, and waved with an excitement that had Nick feeling tired at once just by watching him.

"Hi!" the hare said, like a miniature version of Clawhauser, "I'm Lieutenant Samuel Woodland from the police branch in the Rainforest District." He paused and offered his paw for a shake, "But you can call me Sam."

"Nick Wilde." Nick said as he took Sam's offered paw and squeezed tightly, "This is my partner,—"

"Carrie, right?" Sam interrupted, removing his paw from Nick's grip to shake Judy who was looking at him incredulously.

Sam carried on, oblivious to she and Nick's confused looks, "The Chief told me about the situation over the phone. You're Officer Hopp's temp while she's on leave right? The Jackson incident must have rattled her badly, although I do wish I could have gotten to meet her. Officer Hopp's my hero really, I can't tell you how much I look up to her. I do hope I'll be able to see her before I leave."

"That's enough." Bogo cut him short, "The Lieutenant is here to help us with the investigation, and he comes highly recommended. I wanted to introduce him to you two personally because you will be working together with him on Jackson's case."

"Welcome to the team, Sam." Nick said dryly, not looking keen to working with the tiny ball of sunshine. Sam's sunny persona irritated him, even though they'd just met.

Sam beamed at him before leaving the office, and then Nick felt a prick of guilt at his exasperated thoughts towards him.

"Carrie?" Judy exclaimed as soon as the door closed behind Sam.

Bogo threw his hands up like a drama queen, "It was the best I could come up with at the moment. I've been hoping that the effects of the Night Howler on you could be resolved before the higher ups find out about it but if Sam finds out then they find out and then this case leaves our hands."

Nick wasn't sure if he liked the way Bogo was freely using 'our'.

"And with what we now know from Revere, we can't let that happen." Bogo continued, "Since Sam is already here, there's nothing I can do but keep him on the case but we keep the real state of things from him. There's no way to know if Sam's spying for the mayor and until we are certain of it, all this stays between us and the doctor."

Judy and Nick agreed.

"We need to talk." Nick cornered Judy as Sam excused himself for a bathroom break, noting how she froze when he grabbed her paw.

All morning, they had been working on the Jackson case, mapping out the routes he had used when delivering Night Howler packages, frequently visited spots and all known acquaintances. It was tedious work to Nick, partly because he was much more used to being in the midst of the action, and not reading it.

For all his sunniness, Sam was actually serious when it came to doing work. He was intelligent, and had a keen eye for details. Nick would've have been much more appreciative of his skills if he was sure Sam wasn't spying on them for the City Council.

Judy had studiously acted as if Nick were absent, only acknowledging his existence when she'd needed a file from him, or to refuse him when he'd offered to pick some snacks up on his way back from Bogo's office.

Now, she grabbed her paw from him, placing it on her lap.

Nick sighed, "What's going on, Judy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied succinctly, not meeting his eyes.

"Of course you don't," his tone dripped with sarcasm, "So are we going to argue about this, or you'll tell me what's bothering you?"

"Can we do this later? Somewhere else at least? Sam could come back any minute." Judy said, her voice low.

"Lead the way."

Judy looked surprised, as if she'd not expected he would insist on talking to her at that moment, then resignation settled over her features. She stood up, "Follow me."

She led him to one of the empty offices in the building, putting enough distance between where they'd been working with Sam so he wouldn't find them anytime soon.

"Why are you acting like this? Nothing's wrong with me, I've told you that." The words were out of her mouth as soon as she closed the door.

Nick's face hardened at her obstinacy, "What did you and Revere talk about yesterday, apart from his death?"

"Nothing serious. He just advised me to take care of myself. I would appreciate it if we could wrap this up and return to work."

She was distancing herself from him, Nick realized, distancing herself and becoming formal with him. He couldn't work out why.

"I could care less about the case right now, Judy. I just want to know what's wrong with us. Is it something I did?"

Something passed in her beautiful eyes, an emotion Nick couldn't place. There was silence between them for a several long moments and Judy swallowed hard before looking at him.

"There is nothing wrong with us Nick, because there is no us." Her lips quivered as she spoke and Nick felt like he'd been shot in the chest. "This 'thing' between us was just a means to an end, to blow off the horniness of mating season. A casual hookup. It was fun while it lasted but it's over now."

"What?" he uttered silently. This wasn't his Judy, not the smart kind person he loved. There was a stranger in front of him.

"What did you think was going to happen, Nick?" Judy pushed on relentlessly even though tears were beginning to gather in her eyes, "When Rosemary and her team worked out a cure, this was bound to happen. I'm only ending it a little earlier."

Before the tears could fall, she pushed past him and walked out the door, leaving him shocked and hurt.

Nick put a hand to his chest, suddenly hearing the loud thumps of his heart reverberate in his ears. It hurt, the harsh words he'd heard less than a minute ago, more than a physical wound had ever done.

Judy paused in the hallway that led to the reception area, acutely aware of the tears running down her cheeks. She rubbed at them furiously, bursting into more tears in the process. Dammit, she'd promised herself she wouldn't cry. She'd wanted to lay him down gently, like she'd planned to do as she'd walked out Revere's cell the previous day.

It was only as she'd let the words tumble out her heart that she realized she had been hoping. Hoping to keep him for herself, hoping that Nick wanted her because he wanted Judy and not what she'd become. But that hope had come crashing down because as soon as Rosemary had drawn blood from her, she'd realized her time with Nick was up.

With Revere's blood, the genesis of this whole situation, there was no way the team of scientists would not find a cure for what had happened to her. The blissful fantasy she'd lived in had burst, and with a sinking heart she realized that when she was back to regular old bunny Hopps, Nick would lose interest in her. And it stung.

It stung because she loved him.

Her phone rang in her pocket and she groaned. For a second she considered letting it go to voicemail, but then wondered if it was something important. As she fished the noisy device out of her pocket, Dr. Rosemary's name flashed on her screen. Anxiety and dread washed over her in a confusing mixture.

"Dr. Rosemary," she said as she answered, "What's up?"

"Hello Judy, I have news for you. It could be good or bad depending on how you see it." The panda paused, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Judy lied, sniffing quietly, "I think I'm coming down with the flu, but that aside I'm fine. What did you want to tell me?"

"I ran a few tests yesterday, and you will not believe what I found. Revere was right, your DNA was beginning to show signs of change, and it was like a cluster of different DNA's but in one body. I suspect it is only a matter of time before they begin to manifest. Luckily, his blood type is a universal donator so we can start work on a cure immediately."

"That's good news doctor," Judy said, even as her heart began to sink. "Very good news."

"I believe so too. I heard of his death on the news, and I'm glad we got to meet him before Xavier got to him." Rosemary paused, "There is something else I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Judy, you're pregnant."

No, I did not cry while writing that awful office scene but I was close to tears. Sue me. Was this chapter as much of a shock to you as i wanted it to be? Let me know guys, and i sincerely hope this has appeased you for now. I'm working on the next chapter as we speak but i want the next update to be a double so it may be weeks until i post again so it may take several weeks, but you'll like it I promise!

Ja ne!


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